Not Always What It Seems
by Dee31
Summary: It's the end of summer and the start of the Wildcats' senior year at East High. What happens when the subject of one of Gabriella's stories comes to their high school? How do they deal when the cheerleading captain turns her attention towards Troy?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the High School Musical characters that are referenced to in this story, all Disney owned!

Ch. 1

Troy Bolton turned his dirty blonde head to his right and smiled as he saw his girlfriend, Gabriella Montez, blissfully savoring the remaining summer sunshine on the blanket they shared in the local park. Feeling a pair of eyes staring at her, Gabriella opened her brown eyes to return the gaze, right into the most beautiful blue eyes she could imagine. Seeing that he had her attention, Troy rolled over to his right side, placing his left hand on the blanket next to her head, and leaned in to give Gabriella one of the sweetest kisses they have shared yet.

When Troy pulled away from the kiss, he could not help but smile as he saw the same look on Gabriella's face as was probably on his at the moment – a look of total relaxation, happiness, and quite possibly a look of love, not crush.

"Hard to believe school is starting in a week from today huh?" Gabriella states, interrupting Troy's train of thought. "It seems like we were counting down the minutes and seconds to summer only a few days ago in Darbus' class."

Troy thinks back to the summer and all the things that happened and smiles. "Summer may be over but look at all the memories we have now, ones that I know we will share and cherish for the rest of our lives. Plus, it is a new year, full of new surprises and hopefully better class schedules."

Gabriella reaches up and puts the back of her right hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling okay Troy? I could have sworn that you actually sounded excited about going back to school."

"No, you know I detest that institution they call high school as much as every other high school student. I am just thinking positively, something I learned from you missy. I mean, yea, school is going to suck again as usual but this time, I get to do it with my best buds and my girlfriend. I think that the company is well worth the torture."

After laughing she shakes her head. "I don't know how you got to be this smooth but you always managed to get yourself out of a jam. Although, I have to be honest, if you ever put me through the torture you did this summer with Sharpay at the club, I will personally make your high school experience even worse, got it?"

Troy studies the look on his girlfriend's face and sees she is teasing on the surface, but deep down she was still talking from the hurt of the past few months. "Gabriella, you know that I learned quite a lesson this summer, one that I do not take lightly. Trust me, if nothing else, this summer only served to bring us closer together and to help me realize how truly special you are to me. I think if anything, I need to watch my back this year!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, now that you have settled into the East High ways, shaken up our little pre-existing status quo, and have stared in the musicale with me while winning the scholastic decathlon, I expect that I will have to battle several guys in the halls to keep your affection!"

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "Whatever Troy, you know there is no one else for me but you. If I really wanted to, I could have taken advantage of your distraction with Sharpay and her 'better life' instead of fighting for you. You my dear boyfriend are stuck with me, forever."

"Promise?" he asks, leaning in for another soft kiss.

"Promise."

Troy rolls onto his back, bringing her with him so her head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. They remained cuddled together like that until familiar voices reached them from the distance.

"Chad Danforth, how many times do I have to tell you that Gabriella and Troy want to be alone today?" Taylor McKessie yells from behind her boyfriend. "Come on, basketball season has not even started yet!"

Gabriella and Troy could hear running footsteps on the grass get closer before Chad showed up in their view. "Hi guys! Troy, we need to start working on that new playbook for this year! I just found out that West High's team started practice a week ago so now we are behind!" he announces, breathing and talking normally, like he did not run across the field in a mad dash.

"Sorry…guys…I tried to catch him and hold him back…but he's set on beating West High again this year, to the point of…obsession," Taylor manages to get out, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"Chad, are you serious? They started already? But they don't have a full team!" Troy responds to Chad's news, sitting up, causing Gabriella to roll off him and onto the blanket. He notices as she sits up and glares at him. "Sorry Gabriella, momentary excitement…"

She just nods her head and looks at Taylor who has the same annoyed look on her face. "Boys, what are we going to do with them Gabriella?" Taylors asks.

"I don't know but I think we should leave them alone to plot together. We just know us girls just get in the way."

Troy grabs Gabriella's hand as she gets up to leave with Taylor. "Don't be like that Gabriella. You know how important that team is to us."

Gabriella nods. "Sometimes, too important. Come on Taylor, let's go hit the playground."

The two girls run off to the playground on the opposite side of the park, leaving the boys staring after them for a moment before diving right into strategizing. Chad picks up his cell phone and calls Zeke and Jason over to join the impromptu strategy session.

While the boys were busy discussing new playbook entries and schedules for practice, Taylor and Gabriella were having their own discussion as they lazily played on the swings on the playground, watching the little kids run around in front of them on the jungle gym.

"So, how's your fan fiction story going? Still stuck on chapter 9?" Taylor asks.

"Nope, onto chapter 15, where the romance starts blooming between my protagonist and Hunter Smith," Gabriella responds. "My first fan fiction story after all those fiction stories. It feels weird to be writing about a real person and imagining them doing whatever I want to happen."

Taylor laughs. "Right but that is the whole point of the fanfiction genre, don't you know? Besides, I am sure this story will be as great as all the others you have written. Speaking of, I think you got a few more reviews on our website."

Gabriella's eyes light up at the mention of the reviews on their shared story website. The two girls had secretly been posting under nicknames to "publish" their stories and poems to get them some circulation since the spring. "I can't wait to check them out. Chad still unaware of your own stories?"

"Yup, just as Troy doesn't know about yours. I think though in your situation it is a pity as you are such a talented writer. Troy should know what a talented writer you are."

This earned a shake of the head from Gabriella. "No, you know I am very protective of my writing. I only agree to publish on the site because we use nicknames, pennames in their own way, therefore no one knows it is me. I would never let anyone openly read my work, especially my fan fiction!"

"All right, all right. I was just saying. Anyway, onto a better subject. What are your plans with Troy for the last few days before school start?"

Gabriella shrugs her shoulders. "No real plans that I know of. Then again, if the boys have it their way, we may not see them all week because they will be in self-imposed basketball boot camp. I bet you Coach Bolton won't even be there, just the crazed guys of the varsity team."

Taylor laughs. "Probably. You have to admit though, having them have an outlet for all their pent up frustrations from the school day gives us more sweeter guys afterwards. In other words, when they can play ball for hours and take it out on each other when they are frustrated, or rather that basketball, they come home or over to our houses in a much better mood than they would have been without the practices or the games."

"I have to agree with you there. Definitely very true. So what about you and Chad?"

"Well, the carnival is in town and I thought of suggesting to Chad and of course the two of you that we all go on Wednesday afternoon/evening. Should be some good summer fun. If you work on Troy, I'll work on Chad. What do you say?"

"Totally!" Gabriella exclaims. "Consider it a date!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

The next morning, Gabriella woke to a rapping on her windows. She painfully opened her eyes and turned her head to the right to see a sweaty Troy standing out on her balcony. Gabriella checked her clock on her dresser and saw that it was only 9:00. 'What in the world is he doing up this early and already sweaty?'

As soon as she opens the doors, Troy comes rushing inside, sweeping her up in a huge hug, kissing her on the lips briefly and smiling at her. "Good morning sunshine!"

Gabriella scrunches up her nose at his not so pleasant scent as he puts her down. "Troy, what have you been doing? You smell like you just got done with a major practice!"

"I knew you were a smartie!" he jokes, smiling bigger at her. "The guys and I met at 6:30 for an intense run and then played a couple of scrimmages. Gotta keep our heads in the game and all since we are now behind West High."

"Figures, only basketball could get you up and out of your bed so early the week before school starts!" Gabriella responds. "So, besides taking a shower soon, what do you have planned for today?"

He chuckles over the shower comment. "Now if that wasn't a direct instruction to shower, I don't know what it was. Well, after I shower, I was thinking we could go spend some time with the gang down at the water. Zeke, Jason, and Chad talked me into thinking it was a good idea, to spend a day down there, having fun and cooling off. We are of course going to go running while we are there but the girls should be there to keep you occupied too."

"Here we go again," she says. "All right, I'll go join the other basketball groupies so we can keep each other company while you boys sweat it out. Oh, speaking of, you up for carnival time with Chad and Taylor tomorrow evening?"

Troy nods his head. "Sure thing. And you aren't just a basketball groupie, those are called cheerleaders Gabriella. You, my sweet, are my girlfriend and will always be important in my life."

Gabriella smiles at this. "You really have become a sweet talker. All right, you win. We'll go to the water, I'll swoon as your girlfriend as you go workout with your buddies, and we will hit the carnival tomorrow. Pick me up in an hour?"

"You bet," he responds, giving her another quick kiss before disappearing over the balcony railing.

'One day, he may decide the front door is a better avenue…one day,' she thinks, chuckling to herself. 'Now, what to wear…'

The gang all congregated down at their usual spot near the water, a spot that was pretty empty of people because it was farther down the road than the usual hang out spots for people to enjoy the outdoors and the water. The girls which consisted of Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi, spread out their blankets and towels on the ground and pull out the chairs the guys had left folded nearby before going off for their run.

"Now, remind me of something. Why are we the ones that always get suckered into setting up and cleaning up everything?" Taylor asks. "I mean, the guys can do this too!"

Kelsi laughs at Taylor. "You know, they can, but none of them want to. Unless it involves sports, they really don't exert themselves much do they?"

"No, they don't," Gabriella replies, shaking her head. "Although, Troy has been putting his mind to work as to how to get himself out of jams more often. That does take some type of effort I think."

"What, the jams or getting himself out?" Taylor asks with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Both!"

The three girls, once everything is set, take off their tops and shorts to lie down on the blankets to sunbathe. Seeing an opportunity, Gabriella pulls out her notebook and a pen and starts working on her current fan fiction. 'Now, Hunter and Sarah just had their first date, what's next?'

At the same time, Taylor pulls out a book to read and Kelsi pulls out her own notebook to work on a song for the fall musicale she was already working on. After 20 minutes pass, Taylor reminds the other two to flip onto their backs to get even tans, forcing the two writing to give up for the time being, allowing for them to talk.

"So Gabriella, are we on for tomorrow?" Taylor asks, closing her eyes and enjoying the sun.

"Yup," Gabriella responds. "Troy said that was fine. I asked after he came over early this morning after practice. Do you know they already started?"

"I had a feeling. Chad was taking a nap and looked to have been in deep sleep when I sent over for lunch. These guys, if they keep this up, could burn out and fast," Taylor states. "I mean, I understand basketball is important to them and that the championship and titles are key to their success factor but when are they going to realize that there are other things at hand?"

"Like us? I was thinking about that to be honest. Troy seems to always get a bit distracted in our relationship when basketball season is going on. He doesn't ignore me but I can tell, even when we're together, that I don't have 100."

Kelsi decides to chime in here and says, "Well at least you have your guys. Mine still doesn't quite know that I'm more than friendly interested."

"He still doesn't get it? Man Kelsi, I don't know what else you can do but ask Jason out."

"Which we all know is not going to happen. I guess I just have to have more patience."

Gabriella leans over and pats her hand. "Don't worry, it will happen. True love always wins out right?"

Taylor giggles at that. "You are such a hopeless romantic Gabriella Montez! Heaven help Troy if he doesn't live up to your expectations!"

As predicted, Troy, Zeke, Jason and Chad came back to where the girls were still lying out, absolutely ravenous. A few moments before Taylor, Gabriella and Kelsi had laid out the food, anticipating their hunger but had to roll their eyes as the guys continued to consume everything that was in front of them.

"Slow down Chad! You are going to get heartburn!" Taylor exclaims, taking a bite from her sandwich while keeping an eye on her boyfriend who had eaten four pieces of fried chicken in less than a minute.

When everyone was done, the girls did their supposed duty and cleaned up everything, putting it back in the baskets. Everyone started feeling the effects of food coma symptoms and decide to take a few moments to relax before doing any activities.

Troy instantly gravitates towards Gabriella's side and wraps his arms around her waist. "Thanks for the late afternoon lunch. You girls always take such good care of us," he whispers into her ear. "I have to be one of the luckiest guys in New Mexico, if not the whole world."

Gabriella pulls back and smiles. "Well I'm glad you recognize it! I'm hoping you and the other three are done with your workouts for the day. You keep pushing it this way and you'll be down half a team before school starts. After all, the body can only take so much exercise and exertion."

He cocks his eyebrow at this. "Really? I guess my body is past the point of exhaustion. Too bad, I really wanted to kiss you just now but I guess it can't handle the 'exertion' as you called it."

"Fine, have it your way Mr. Bolton. I guess I'll just have to go and kiss some random cute guy down there," she replies, turning around and walking towards a group of teenage guys. She didn't get more than 10 feet before she felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around her waist tightly again.

"No you don't missy," Troy growls, kissing her neck. "I'd be way too jealous to share you with other guys, especially your kisses, your sweet kisses."

Gabriella giggles and turns around, wrapping her arms around his neck. She raises herself onto her tiptoes to better kiss him on his lips, deepening it as his tongue begged for entrance. They must have remained in that spot, making out, longer than they thought since Gabriella could now hear the gang playing in the water. She pulls away and looks at Troy with that special gleam in her eyes reserved just for him.

"Guess that's our cue to go join the gang so they don't think we are ignoring them again," she says, smiling bigger as she sees Troy's blue eyes full of such deep caring emotions that she could not help but feel that she was the luckiest girl ever.

She missed the change of emotions in his eyes though as he thought of a mischievous act. Before Gabriella could react, Troy scoops her off her feet and into his arms as he starts running towards the water.

"TROY!" she screams during the run. "TROY STOP! I DON'T WANT TO GET MY HAIR…" Gabriella's sentence is interrupted as she is dropped into the water and comes up to the surface sputtering.

"What were you saying sweetie?" Troy asks innocently before getting a well deserved smack on his arm. "Oww!"

"That was the least you deserve for that stunt Bolton!" Gabriella screams at him. "I really didn't want to get my hair wet, now it's going to be all curly!"

Troy pulls her closer to him in the shoulder deep water and sweetly kisses her. "But I love the curls just as much as I love the straight hair. However, there is one thing that I love more…you," he says, looking deeply into her brown eyes.

"Really?" she asks, returning his gaze.

He nods his head. "I finally figured out the name for this wonderful feeling you create inside me whenever you are around. It's love, something I know that I don't necessarily deserve but I am lucky to have with you. I love you Gabriella Montez, with all my heart."

Gabriella smiles the biggest smile ever and throws her arms around his neck to give him a huge kiss. "I love you too Troy Bolton, with all my soul."

The two remained in each other's arms, in the water, until they were both doused by a huge wave of water. Troy looked in the direction of where the water came from and spotted Chad, Taylor, and Zeke. "You are so dead!" he yells, letting go of Gabriella to pursue the two boys while Gabriella went after Taylor.

"That's it Taylor, you are so going to get it!" she screams, swimming after her best friend who is busy trying to swim away. Luckily, Gabriella's summer of lifeguarding was on her side and she caught up with Taylor in no time to dunk her into the water. Taylor came back up screaming as the two friends started splashing each other, hearing the boys yelling not too far away, also in a water fight.

Back on the shore, Kelsi and Jason are watching the teens and laugh themselves. "Looks like all is back to normal after a summer of drama," Kelsi remarks. "They all look so happy."

Jason smiles down at the petite girl next to him. "Want to join them?"

Before Kelsi could answer, Jason grabbed her hand and ran toward the water with her, lifting her up at the edge and letting her down gently into the waist deep part of the water when he got there. Next thing Kelsi knows, she is getting doused by water as a result of being near Troy, Chad and Zeke who are still playing and again by the girls who were getting closer. She starts laughing and joins in on the fun, nailing Jason right in the face.

"That's it Kelsi, no mercy for you!" he exclaims, going after her. The air is full of laughter and screams as the group starts going after each other indiscriminately. Soon the sun sets leaving the area in complete darkness, a signal that they all had to say goodbye to another fun summer day and go home.

On the steps of the Montez home, Gabriella unlocks the door to her house but pulls back to look at Troy one last time. "Today was special Troy, and lots of fun to boot. Thank you for such a wonderful time," she says, nuzzling her head into his neck, her favorite spot.

He wraps his arms around his girlfriend's waist and breathes in her sweet scent as he kisses the top of her head. "I did too. I really meant what I said today in the water. I love you Gabriella."

"I love you too," she confesses, pulling away from him slightly so she can gaze into his eyes. "As much as I love this moment too, I have better get inside. My mom will start wondering."

"Oh, yeah," he says. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow afternoon for the carnival? I'll pick you up around 4, that okay?"

Gabriella nods her head. "Good night sweet Troy."

"Good night sweetheart," he responds, kissing her one last time before watching her enter her house and close the door. "I can't believe you are actually mine."

Troy sighs and walks back to his car and drives home. 'Man, am I whipped!' he thinks to himself with a smile on his face. 'But I couldn't think of a better girl to be whipped by!'


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

The next day, Troy arrives at Gabriella's house a little earlier than expected. He had spent the entire morning with the guys on the varsity team running drills, laps, and playing some games. Every guy on the team was putting 110 behind these impromptu practices and it made him proud to be their captain again. His dad hadn't even shown up knowing that the guys were so motivated that they were drilling themselves hard enough for everyone.

Mrs. Montez opens the door after she hears the doorbell ring and smiles at Troy who is dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a blue and green plaid button up. "Well hello Troy. I don't think Gabriella is ready but come on in," she invites, stepping back to let her daughter's boyfriend in the house.

"Thanks Mrs. Montez. How are you today?" he asks, taking a seat on the couch in the living room.

"I'm well, thanks for asking. Going to the carnival tonight?"

Troy nods his head. "Yes, we are joining Chad and Taylor there. It's kind of fun having another couple to do double date stuff with now."

She nods her head in understanding. "I'm sure it is. Gabriella has mentioned you guys have started up practicing early for basketball season. How is that going?"

"Well, everyone seems to be in good form still. Is Gabriella upset that I have been practicing so much?" he asks, realizing this could be his chance to find out.

"To be honest, she hasn't said she was but I can tell she has been feeling a bit neglected. Gabriella understands your passion for the game and the team, she has her own passions in life, but I think she misses you when you are apart. That's normal in any relationship though, basketball star or not."

"I understand, thanks Mrs. Montez." Troy is about to ask something further when he spots Gabriella coming down the stairs in a pair of jean shorts and a cute yellow halter top. "Well hello gorgeous."

Troy stands up to wrap Gabriella in a big hug and kisses her lightly, keeping in mind that her mom is watching. She giggles in response and replies with her own hello. He grabs her hand and walks her to the door after she grabs her purse and hugs her mother goodbye.

"Remember Gabriella, curfew!" Mrs. Montez reminds from the door as she watches her daughter get into Troy's car.

Once at the fairgrounds, Troy gets out of the car and runs over to the other side to open the door for his girlfriend. Gabriella takes his extended hand and gets out, kissing him on the cheek lightly while he shuts the door and locks the car. "Such the gentleman," she murmurs, grabbing his hand in hers again as they head towards the entrance to the carnival.

As the two get closer to the carnival, the air becomes heavily scented with the smells of sweet things like cotton candy and the heavy odor of grease from all the fried food. "You know, these smells are making me hungry!" Troy exclaims, taking in a deep breath and exhaling with a smile.

Gabriella laughs as she shakes her head. "You are always hungry Troy, always!"

"Hey, is it my fault I'm a growing boy who works out often which speeds up my metabolism even more? I would have thought you would enjoy having such an athletic, muscular…"

"Big headed, egotistical, oh and did I mention hot, boyfriend?" Gabriella finishes with a laugh. "Man, you really make teasing you way too easy now. Don't get me wrong, I love the feeling you give me when your arms wrap around me, but do you have to talk about it yourself?"

"Hi Troy!" a group of cheerleaders call over as they pass him by, looking him over with appreciative looks. "Looking good tonight!"

Troy gets a silly and goofy smile on his face as he returns their greeting with a wave earning him a smack from Gabriella. "Excuse me, girlfriend right here!"

"What? I was just being nice!" he defends. "Besides, I think in your little teasing you called me hot which is more than enough for me. Don't tell me you are getting jealous of the cheerleaders all of a sudden."

"Me, jealous, of those cheerleaders? Are you kidding?"

"Who is Gabriella jealous of?" Chad asks, approaching the couple with Taylor hand in hand.

"Oh nothing. Troy has it in his head that I'm jealous of the cheerleaders. Taylor, can you please explain to him that we both, you and me, are not jealous of the cheerleaders and are in fact, far from it?"

Taylor chuckles. "Well Troy, I would have to agree with Gabriella here. I hate to burst your bubble but we are not jealous of the cheerleaders for a few reasons. First, our individual IQs and GPAs are greater than the whole team put together. Second, we like the way we are, all natural without the highlights and heavy makeup. Third, they can stare all they want but Gabriella and I are the ones that have you and Chad as our boyfriends. Good enough list for you?"

Chad and Troy exchange an amused look and nod. "Crystal," Troy responds, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's waist. "It was just a joke, geez."

"Right," Gabriella drawls. "Enough of the chit chat, let's go hit the rides!"

"Where to first my lady?" he asks, leading the group over to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the evening.

"Ferris wheel? Ooh, they have that little roller coaster too over there I see!"

Chad turns his head in the direction she motions to and laughs. "Seriously Gabriella? The dragon one meant for kids?"

"Hey, I think that's pretty good," she responds. "Do you have any better ideas then Chad?"

"Duh! There are much bigger and more exciting rides. There's the one that you go around and around in a circle super fast and then backwards and then there's the one like the ferris wheel but the carts go upside down and spin during the revolutions and then there is…"

"Enough Chad, Gabriella looks like she may lose her cookies already jus thinking of all that," Taylor interrupts. "Why don't we start slow? There's the haunted house walk through over there."

Grateful for the save, even though she hated haunted houses, Gabriella nods her head and leads the group over. "So it's a walk through and not a ride huh?"

"Scared of walking through the big old haunted house set up by you Gabriella?" Chad teases. "Afraid something is going to pop out of the corner and capture you?"

Taylor smacks her boyfriend on the arm. "Stop teasing her! So what if she's nervous about this place and doesn't like those big rides? They aren't for everyone you know."

"Naw, Gabriella will be just fine. I'll be there with her," Troy says, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Together, nothing can harm us, right sweetie?"

Gabriella turns her head to look at him. "Right, nothing in the world, even Chad!"

Chad rolls his eyes at the couple. "Man, you guys are so giggly, it makes me sick sometimes. Let's get going if we're going to do this!"

The two couples make their way towards the entrance and wait their turn to enter. They decide to go in together so the girls could keep tabs on each other. Chad leads the way, Taylor following behind him while holding hands with Gabriella, leaving Troy to bring up the rear of the group. The girls shriek a few times in the beginning as workers popped out of coffins and creaky doors causing Chad to laugh at them. In the middle of the walk through, Troy gets a devious idea and ducks behind a corner in a dark room before anyone could see him.

Sensing a presence missing behind her, Gabriella turns around and realizes Troy is not there at her back anymore. Before she could get worried though she sees a spot of white disappearing behind a corner. She tugs on Taylor's hand and pulls her towards another corner of the new room, putting her hand on Taylor's mouth to keep her quiet.

"I think Troy is trying to spook us," she whispers as quietly as possible to Taylor. "Care to turn it around?"

Taylor nods her head and crouches down closer to Gabriella in the corner.

"Hey, where did everyone go? This isn't funny," they hear Chad calling out. "Troy, Taylor, Gabriella, where are you?" His voice gets louder as he comes closer and then softer as he walks by the girls.

"BOO!" Troy screams, causing Chad to let out a startled cry. Troy starts laughing hysterically and lets out a grunt when Chad lands a hard slap on his shoulder.

"NOT FUNNY!" Chad yells. "You could have given me a heart attack."

"Nah, that would have been way too easy to get rid of you Danforth. Where are the girls?"

There is silence as the two boys start looking around the room, inspecting all the corners and doors. No sign of Gabriella or Taylor. They move to the next room where another worker jumps out at them, causing both to jump back.

"Hey man, have you seen two girls come this way?" Chad asks.

"No," the worker deadpans.

"Gee, thanks for the help bud." Chad and Troy head on out to the exit and reach the outside with no success on finding the girls. "I wonder where they went."

"BOO!...NOT FUNNY! You could have given me a heart attack!"

The two guys turn around as they hear a familiar scene right behind them. "Oh no, you did not get that!" Chad exclaims, looking at an innocent looking Gabriella with her cell phone in her hand.

"Ah, the wonders of modern technology. Not only did I get that part but I got both of you screaming at the one worker!" she exclaims.

Taylor takes this opportunity to sneak up on the guys and push both of their shoulders with moderate strength. "Gotcha!"

Both Troy's and Chad's hearts speed up with the surprise and look at Taylor in disbelief. "Taylor, enough with surprises! My heart can only take so much babe," Chad says, giving Taylor his puppy dog face.

"Aww, what's the matter? Chad and Troy aren't the big and brave men they tried to appear to be before the haunted house?"

"Hey, neither of us claimed to be fearless," Troy says, approaching Gabriella, who is still holding her phone in her hand. "Although, if we erase that little footage, no one will know our moment of weakness!"

He lunges for the phone but Gabriella manages to sidestep him just in time and slips it into the front pocket of her shorts. "Not so fast Wildcat Superstar! Besides, I already sent it to myself and Taylor. Even if you got to this copy of the video you would not be rid of it that easy," she teases. "Anyway, I think it's cute the way you tried to scare me and Taylor but ended up getting it in the end. Sweet justice to me!"

"Oh, you saw that huh?" he asks sheepishly.

"Yup, so busted! Don't try to play all innocent with me buster."

"Well, after all those scares, I think I need to go on some real thrill rides. Who's with me?" Chad asks.

"I'm in," Taylor chimes in.

"Me too. Gabriella?" Troy answers but looks to his girlfriend.

"Sure, why not. Just not that crazy spinning loop thing!" Gabriella responds.

The four run off to the nearest ride, which is the small but fast moving with sudden drop roller coaster and then to a few other thrill rides after that. After the fourth thrill ride in a row, Gabriella feels a bit light headed and sits quickly on a bench.

Troy notices and comes over to her. "You okay sweetie?" he asks, rubbing her back as she leans forward. "Are you motion sick?"

"Could be," she replies. "Definitely very light headed. I think I am going to sit the next few out. Why don't you go ahead with Taylor and Chad?"

He shakes his head. "No way, I am not leaving you behind like that. Let me tell them to go ahead and I can get us some food, maybe a pretzel and ginger ale for you?"

Gabriella gives him a small smile. "You always know what to do to take care of me. Thanks Troy."

"I'm here for you Gabriella, always." He leans down to kiss her softly on the lips before running off to inform Taylor and Chad about the deviation in their plans and getting some food for the both of them.

After munching on the food, the two get up and walk hand in hand through the arcade alley. There were various games there, including skee ball, balloon popping, magnetic fishing, and strength testing. Troy's face lights up as he sees the long range basketball game. He approaches the booth and gives the worker his money for his 3 shots. 1 shot in won a small basketball whereas all 3 won a huge stuffed animal.

Gabriella stands on the side in amusement as Troy dribbles the basketball a few times before jumping up and shooting the ball towards the backboard. _Swish!_ In goes the basketball without even hitting the backboard. She shakes her head in amazement as he goes through the process two more times with the same success. "Incredible," she mutters to herself with a smile. "Even with a tall basketball hoop he still gets it in."

Troy talks to the worker who then comes back with a large stuffed elephant who is laying on its stomach with a cute trunk pointing upwards and a smile. He walks over to her and gives the elephant to her with a kiss. "For my fair lady," he presents with a smile. "See, all those practices with the boys have paid off already!"

Gabriella laughs and happily takes the elephant from Troy's hands. "He is so cute! I'm going to name him Lucky."

"Lucky?" Troy questions.

"Yes, Lucky! Lucky because I was lucky to find the most wonderful guy in the world just as I thought my future would be gloomy and lonely at a new school." Gabriella leans in and kisses Troy on the left cheek, then the right cheek, and finally on the mouth. "Thank you."

"Ah, you are very welcome," he replies, leaning down and kissing her again.

"Although, I have to say, I was a bit cheesy there huh?" she asks, pulling away.

Troy holds up his right hand and positions his thumb and index finger a little bit apart. "Truthfully, yes, a bit, but only by about this much."

Gabriella laughs and playfully smacks him on the arm. "What in the world am I ever going to do without you Bolton?"

"Hopefully you will never have to find out," he murmurs back before leaning down for another kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

_**BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ**_

Troy reaches over and smacks his alarm clock, tempted to shove it off the nightstand as he groggily wakes up on the first day back to East High. 'Ugh, it's that time again. Why can't it be another week of summer?' he wonders as he flips onto his back and tries to open his eyes.

_**We're soarin, flyin', there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach…**_

'Oh shoot, I forgot to turn off my alarm!' panics Gabriella as she rushes from her bathroom to shut it off. 'I hope I didn't wake Mom up.' Gabriella goes back to the bathroom with a smile on her face, thinking of the musicale and their performance. "Breaking Free" was her favorite number that Troy and her did together and she had it playing on a CD in her alarm clock so she could always wake up to a nice memory. 'Thank you Taylor for recording it and putting it along with a few others songs on the CD for me!'

She finishes straightening her dark brown hair and applies light makeup on before going back to her room to fish in her closet for the best "first day of school" outfit. '6:02, I've been up since 5:00…what's got me so wired up? It can't be nerves…can it?' she wonders as she starts to get that aching feeling in her stomach again, the feeling that woke her up, the kind she can only associate with intuition. 'Heaven help me if this means another year of drama, especially because it is the last year of high school!'

Taylor honks the horn outside of Gabriella's house at exactly 7:15, chuckling as she sees Gabriella bouncing down the steps of her porch and slips into the car with a smile on her face. "Morning Taylor!" she greets.

"Good morning sunshine. What has you so upbeat?" Taylor asks. "Did you have a triple mocha coffee again?"

Gabriella shakes her head. "No, just trying to put a positive spin on everything. No use starting the first day of school and our senior year on the wrong foot right?"

"True but I know you missy. Something is up. I'm not your best friend for nothing so spill!"

"Nothing is wrong, really. If you must know though, I had a bit of intuition session this morning and it doesn't feel so good," Gabriella replies. "I don't know what is causing it but I don't have such a true good feeling about senior year right now."

"Hmm, and your intuition is usually pretty good. I guess we'll have to wait and see on this one huh? But, whatever it is, I'm sure everything will be okay Gabriella."

"I sure hope you are right."

The two girls change topics onto other things like their unknown class schedules and plans for the scholastic decathlon team. When they pull into the parking lot the first person they see is a perky blonde who is stepping out of her car.

"Hey girls," Sharpay calls over. "How was your last week of summer?"

The three hug and share smiles. "It was great, you missed a great time here. I know Zeke missed you," Gabriella replies.

"Aww, I know, I missed him too. Fuji just wasn't the same without my boyfriend being around."

Taylor holds in a laugh at this and just smiles in return. "Shall we make our entrance into East High?"

The other two nod and head through the main doors, making their way to the gym to pick up their new schedules and for the first day assembly. They each line up in their respective lines, waiting their turn.

Gabriella and Taylor sit down on the bleachers and start comparing notes. "That's great, we have our A.P. classes together, plus Latin, and both lunch periods on Red and White days! Yay for the honors track!" Taylor notes, bringing a smile to Gabriella's face.

"Let me see your schedule," Sharpay says, sitting down next to Gabriella and comparing notes. "Gabriella, looks like you are stuck with me for Drama and Family Living but hey, looks like we have a common lunch on the Red day."

Troy, Chad, Zeke, Jason, Martha, Kelsi, and Ryan come over and join the three girls on the bleachers. Troy takes the seat right behind Gabriella since she was sandwiched between the two and peeks over her shoulder. He lets out a groan which makes Gabriella look over at him with a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" she asks, wondering why he looked down.

"Only lunch together on Red day and one class together a day. That blows! Why did you have to be a smartie and be in A.P. classes?" Troy asks, giving Gabriella a smile that let her know he was joking about the last comment. "I only get to see you in PE and Drama!"

"Hey, it's better than nothing right? It seems like we all got a bit split up this year. And hey there buster, where's my good morning?"

Troy leans down and kisses her on the cheek. "Good morning," he greets. "Sorry, got a bit overwhelmed in the whole first day of school madness and of our senior year. This is the year we are supposed to rule the school!"

"Hi Troy, how are you doing?" a feminine voice greets from the left, right where the group of cheerleaders sat next to the group of friends.

Troy turns his head and gives Jasmine and her friends a polite smile. "I'm good, how was your summer?"

"Great but I missed you. It's so sad to be working on cheers without inspiration within sight. Although, my view of you at the carnival last week was rather, inspirational," Jasmine replies earning giggles from her friends.

"Seriously, can she be more fake?" whispers Taylor to Gabriella who is trying her best to ignore the banter behind her.

"Jasmine, you humble this lowly jock. What repayment do you request for this round of flattery this morning?" Troy asks.

Jasmines whispers with her friends and gives Troy a dazzling smile. "A date of course!"

Gabriella whips her head around to the left to stare at the girl who had such audacity to ask Gabriella's own boyfriend out when she was right there. "Excuse me Jasmine, I think Troy is already taken," she says in a strong voice.

"Oh, Gabriella, I didn't even see you there. I would have expected that you would have been in the library studying away like a good little smartie pants," Jasmine replies nastily.

Sharpay, who still feels guilty about the summer, decides enough is enough. "Back up Jasmine, seriously. Troy is dating Gabriella and even if he wasn't, he has so many other choices that are way better than you. In fact, I think a piece of dry toast would be a better match!"

Jasmine and her friends gasp at this and are about to retort when the principal starts the assembly. 'Just you wait Gabriella. Soon enough, Troy is going to be all mine and you are not going to know what hit you.'

At fifth period lunch, Gabriella decides to duck into the computer lab with Taylor in tow to spend some time working on their stories. After the episode in the gym, Gabriella's bad feeling in her stomach got stronger and she couldn't deal with facing Troy already.

"Taylor, do you find it odd that Troy didn't say anything to Jasmine about the date proposal?" she asks her best friend who is sitting next to her, presently typing the end of a conversation.

Taylor shakes her head sadly. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with you that it is very strange that Troy didn't do or say anything after that. I mean, Sharpay did a good job of putting Jasmine in her place but it just seems weird that he would not be the first one to turn her down. Having said that though, there is nothing to fear I think. I blame it on the male mind being too slow in the morning and too blinded by the flattery."

"Maybe you're right," Gabriella concedes. "I just don't know what else I can do if Jasmine goes on the attack. I don't want to keep having to battle every girl in this place for Troy's affection. It gets tiring after a while and I am seriously looking for a senior year that's smooth sailing!"

"You have been through a lot already with that boy. I am sure this is nothing," Taylor says, trying to reassure her friend although she herself did not believe it. "Anyway, that is why we are in here writing right? To take our mind off of our real problems and to put ourselves in a fantasyland?"

"True. I'm just finishing the chapter where Hunter confesses his undying devotion and love. Now, if I could have my own happy, drama free relationship I would be a happy camper!"

"Sure you don't want anyone to know about these stories? Even Kelsi maybe who would definitely be discreet about it?" Taylor asks.

Without a moment of hesitation Gabriella replies, "Absolutely not. I am so not ready for anyone to read this and know it was me. I'm not ready for that exposure and criticism."

"All right, your call boss."

The two continue their writing in silence when the bell rings. Before Gabriella could pull out her USB stick from the computer, Troy comes into the computer lab and sweeps her up in a hug. "I can't believe you skipped our first lunch together Gabriella! What were you doing in here with Taylor the whole time?"

"Nothing, just doing some homework is all," she replies, giving Taylor a look for her to play along.

"Right, you know us Troy. Gotta get a good jump on that Latin 3 homework!" Taylor chimes in, hoping Troy bought it.

"Well if Taylor hadn't told Chad where you guys were I would never have found you to escort you to PE. Speaking of, we better book it before we are late."

Gabriella grabs her bag and runs out of the computer beside Troy, waving good bye to Taylor as she moves off in her own direction to the home economics wing, skidding into the girls' locker room just in time to get changed and make it into the gym for roll call.

Gabriella could not have been more relieved to see a class end than this PE period where the coach went on and on about her expectations and rules for the semester. As if that wasn't enough, the coach then handed out a thing of papers that talked about the exact same thing she made everyone read and sign. 'Ugh, talk about redundant!' Gabriella thought to herself, actually jealous that the boys were already out on the track running.

As Gabriella was putting her gym clothes away and opening her bag to take out her schedule to find out where her next class was, she panicked noting her USB stick was missing. 'Oh my God, I must have left it in the computer lab!'

She throws on her shoes, zips up her bag, and runs back to the computer lab relieved to find that it was still in the computer. 'That's odd, I thought I had closed the word application before I left,' she thinks as she closes it again and safely removes the USB stick. 'I wonder if anyone saw it.' Gabriella looks at her watch and realizes she only has 2 minutes to make it to Family Living and runs across campus to make it just in time for yet another class she was almost late to on the first day back to school.

As the bell rang at 2:55, Troy happily gets out of his seat in Physics and walks with Taylor and Chad, who are holding hands, down the halls to their lockers. Troy spins the lock with his combination and opens it to take out the books he needs to do homework and is surprised when a few slips of paper come falling out.

"Aww cute, did Gabriella leave you a love note?" Chad teases, seeing Troy unfold the paper.

'Not likely with the way she's feeling and thinking,' Taylor thinks, eyeing the paper that Troy is now reading.

"Hmm, 'True Love Always Lasts' by Gabriella Montez?" Chad reads out loud over Troy's shoulder. "Did she write about you two for an assignment maybe?"

"Shut up Chad, I'm trying to read this," Troy responds, scanning the second and third page.

'Why does that title sound familiar…OH MY GOD!' Taylor thinks, trying to hide her shocked expression from the boys who are not paying her any attention anyway. 'That can't be Gabriella's fan fiction, no way!'

"Dude, Troy, who is this Hunter guy?" Chad asks, scratching his head. "Is that a nickname for you?"

Troy shakes his head. "No, but that name sounds really familiar. I wonder if she has written any more of this. It's only one chapter."

"Why would she slip that into your locker? That's strange Troy."

"I know Chad, it is odd. Hunter Smith, Hunter Smith…"

"Taylor, isn't that the name of that actor and singer you and Gabriella talk about once in a while?" Chad asks, turning his attention back to his girlfriend who can only nod her head. "So Gabriella is writing a romance story about her and Hunter Smith? That's way weird Troy."

"Not necessarily," Troy responds, looking over the papers in his hands. "I know she has been writing for a while now but never knew what. From the looks of this, she's actually very talented."

Chad waves a hand in front of Troy's face. "Umm, Troy, are you not bothered by the fact that this story is about another guy that Gabriella obviously has a crush on? It's not even a made up character, it's a real person!"

Troy shrugs his shoulders and closes his locker after getting out the books he wanted. "Why should I be? It's just a fiction story."

Taylor has been quietly observing this exchange, hoping Troy would brush it off like he did. 'God, I have to tell Gabriella right away. Thank heavens the boys have basketball practice right now otherwise it would be Troy giving Gabriella a ride home today and not me!'

She kisses Chad good bye and runs out to the parking lot to see a smiling Gabriella at her car. "You are not going to believe this Gabriella!" Taylor exclaims, unlocking the car so the two could talk privately.

"What's wrong, you look like you have seen a ghost!" Gabriella says, worried about her best friend.

"So we were at our lockers getting our stuff out when Troy unfolds this group of papers that were slipped into his locker. To my horror, he was reading your first chapter to your fan fiction," Taylor rushes out, holding her breath as she observes her best friend's reaction.

Gabriella stays quiet for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. "Umm, did he like it?" she asks.

Taylor stares at Gabriella as if she has grown a second head. "Did he like it? Gabriella, your boyfriend has the first chapter of your fan fiction about Hunter Smith in his hands and all you can ask is if he liked it? After all this talk about you not wanting him to know?"

Gabriella shrugs her shoulders in response. "I don't know what to do or say Taylor, it isn't like I can take it back and I certainly didn't do it myself. Someone must have gotten a hold of it today when I left my USB stick at the computer lab."

"I have to give you credit Gabriella, I would have thought you would be flipping out about this," Taylor confides.

"Truthfully, I am. Not only have I had a rough start to senior year with the classes, my relationship with Troy is on the rocks and I don't know if there is any recovery within sight. I am beyond flipping out, I think I have just gotten better at hiding it," Gabriella replies back. "I don't know what to do Taylor. It's only the first day back and so much has happened, so much drama."

Taylor leans over and hugs Gabriella the best that she can in the car. "Do you want me to take you home?"

Gabriella shakes her head. "No, I think maybe I should stay here and talk to Troy about everything. I am not going to sleep or study well without resolving these issues."

"Well, do you want to go in and watch them practice instead together?"

"You would stay with me?"

"Of course, that's what best friends are for silly. Besides, seeing Chad workout isn't exactly torture, even if it is basketball."

The two laugh and get back out of the car and make their way over to the gym where they guys have been playing a game. Since it was the start of the year, tryouts were being held for the few open varsity spots and the junior varsity team. Taylor and Gabriella find seats in the bleachers, not being noticed by the guys who are running around and concentrating on the game on the floor.

Coach Bolton blows the whistle to signal the end of tryouts and practice an hour later and sends the guys off to the locker room for showers.

Troy grabs his towel from the bleachers and is in the process of wiping his face when he spots Gabriella and Taylor. "Well hello ladies. Enjoying the view?"

Gabriella blushes and responds, "Yeah, Jason sure has gotten a lot more muscular over the summer. I hardly noticed until today."

"Gabriella Montez, take that back!" Troy jokes back. "Seriously, what are you two doing here? I thought you left already."

"I better leave you two alone," Taylor breaks in, patting Gabriella's arm. "Hey Chad, wait up!"

Taylor dashes down the bleachers and runs over to a waiting Chad who smiles at her but then shoots a silent question to her about the other two behind them. She shakes her head and motions that now isn't the time.

Gabriella walks down to the floor and stands next to Troy. "Do you want to go get changed and maybe we can go for a walk?"

"Umm, sure. Am in trouble?" Troy asks, walking towards the locker room.

"We just need to talk Troy. I'll wait for you in the parking lot," Gabriella returns, heading out of the gym.

After throwing on his clothes from earlier in the day, Troy grabs his bag and heads out to his car where Gabriella is waiting. They get in and Troy drives them over to their favorite park. When they get out, they continue the silence as they walk towards the swings and sit down.

Troy, unable to withstand the silence anymore, asks, "So, what's going on?"

Gabriella lets out a harsh laugh. "I can't believe you have to ask me that Troy. Maybe you haven't seen that I have been upset since this morning's assembly?"

"Well I have but you seemed okay in PE, bored maybe but okay. Is this about Jasmine?" he asks, noticing that she diverted her gaze at the mention of the other girl. "It is, isn't it?"

She nods and begins to swing a little, just back and forth with her feet on the ground. "Troy, I can't be with you if I have to worry about you all the time. First it was Chad and Taylor trying to break us up with good intentions, although selfish, then it was Sharpay, and now Jasmine. Seriously, I never knew that relationships were filled with this much drama."

"Gabriella, they aren't supposed to be but they aren't all about smooth sailing either. Don't you remember what we said at the beginning of the summer? No matter what happens, as long as we are together it's all good," he responds putting his right hand out to slow her swinging. "I don't want to see the end of us just because of some stupid girl flirting with me."

"But that's just it! If it was just her flirting, I could ignore it the way I have been ignoring all the other girls. Today you flirted back, in front of all the rest of the senior class and East High. How is that supposed to make me feel?" she asks, looking directly into his blue eyes.

"I didn't mean to flirt back! I mean, I guess I sometimes do cross that line between being friendly and flirting but it isn't a conscious choice. I just like being a nice guy. You inspire me to be a better guy Gabriella."

Gabriella looks away, not knowing what to say to him anymore. 'I want to believe him but that old fear of being heartbroken by him is still there,' she thinks. 'He seems so sincere but can I stomach another episode like this morning?'

Troy interrupts her thoughts by asking a question. "Why didn't you show me your story earlier Gabriella? It's really good."

She turns her head so she is looking at him again and searches his face for any traces of joking. "You really think it was good?"

He nods and smiles. "I wouldn't tell you that if I didn't believe it. Why leave only one chapter for me though?"

'Troy deserves to know the truth,' she thinks before replying. "Troy, I didn't leave that for you. I left my USB stick in the lab when you got me for PE and when I got back I noticed the story had been open. I think someone purposely printed that out for you and stuck it in your locker."

"Okay, but why?"

"I don't know. Maybe an attempt to break us up? I mean, I am writing a fan fiction story about Hunter Smith. Any guy would be expected to get a bit broken up about that. Aren't you?"

Troy gives her a questioning look. "Broken up about you writing a fiction story? No, that's silly. It's your imagination at work, maybe also your sense of fantasy. I'm not going to be jealous of some star just because my girlfriend has a crush on him."

"Really?" Gabriella asks shocked. "I never shared with you because I thought you would be upset with me, like many other guys would probably be with this scenario."

He chuckles and brushes a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Gabriella, in all honesty, I am not upset. If anything, I am only upset that you didn't share the story with me yourself instead of it having been dropped in my locker like that. I don't know who did it but whoever they are, whether intentions were good or bad, I have to thank them because now I know exactly how talented a writer you are."

Gabriella smiles at him softly with a sparkle of happiness returning to her eyes. "Troy, you are amazing, you know that?"

"Just for you," he says, leaning in and kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Only for you."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

On Friday night, the whole gang decided to hang out together so Chad drives Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, and himself over to the ice rink to meet with the others. When they get out of the car and make it into the rink they smile as they see the rest of the gang waiting on them.

"Come on slow pokes!" calls over Martha. "It's time to get our boogie on out there on the ice!"

Ryan laughs at her but agrees. "Seriously, why is it that whenever we get together as a huge group, you four are always late?"

"We're not always late. Just when it involves the girls who have to find the right outfit, have the right hair, etc!" Chad defends.

"Is not! Chad Danforth you better take that back!" Taylor exclaims, smacking him on her favorite spot, his right arm.

Chad rubs his arm on the spot and pouts, not earning any sympathy from Taylor.

Gabriella laughs at the two but grabs Troy's hand to go get their ice skates. Ever since that discussion in the park on Monday, Gabriella and Troy had been inseparable with the exception of their class schedules. After basketball practice each day, Troy had made it a routine to go to the Montez household where he and Gabriella would do homework side by side and he usually stayed through dinner and a little after before going home. Jasmine of course had tried her best to get Troy's attention again but never quite succeeded as he made sure to stay just friendly to her.

Once the four had their skates on, the group heads out to the ice and start laughing at each other as they begin to wobble and slip all over the place.

"All right, who's idea was this to go ice skating?" Jason asks, gripping the side of the rink for dear life. "I nominate we torture whoever did!"

Kelsi laughs and skates over to him. "It was my idea. Come on and hold my hand. I promise I won't let you fall, at least on purpose."

The rest of the group laughs and watch as Jason takes Kelsi's hand and almost pulls her down onto the ice on a few close calls. "Is it me or is this shy little friend of ours actually more bold?" asks Martha of Taylor. "She actually made the first move!"

Taylor nods her head. "It's great, don't you think?"

"See, love always succeeds in getting its way, it just takes time," Gabriella throws in as she passes the two. "Anything can happen when love is involved!"

"Hopeless romantic!" Taylor yells out to Gabriella who is now skating backwards. "Showoff too!"

"Why, because I can skate backwards? I'm the one that lived in extreme cold before remember? Frozen lakes, snow? I picked it up out of boredom…"

The three laugh as Gabriella turns back around and watches Kelsi still try to skate with Jason in tow. Behind the three are Troy, Chad, and Ryan who are keeping their eyes not only on the girls ahead but also Sharpay and Zeke who are skating together ahead of Kelsi and Jason.

"Seriously man, who would have thought your sister would ever realize the charms of Zeke after all that chasing he did all of junior year," Chad says to Ryan. "It honestly got to a point where I didn't know if he would run out of things to bake for her before she realized how mad he was about her."

Ryan shrugs his shoulders. "You know Sharpay. Once she sets her mind on something, it's hard to distract her. I am glad too that they found each other and are now dating. You have no idea how much easier it is to live with her now!"

Troy laughs at this and says, "Ryan, who are you kidding? We all know how much easier it is to deal with her now, at least most of the time. To be honest, I am just glad her scheming to interfere with my relationship with Gabriella is over and that she seems to have actually begun to support it instead."

"I think she has come to terms with the fact that you are off limits. Now, if we could do the same thing with Jasmine we would all be in good shape."

"That my friend, is a whole different story!" Chad says, spotting the cheerleading team just getting onto the ice. "All right, who leaked to the cheerleaders that we were going to be here?"

Troy looks over and lets out a groan. "I guess it's too late to hide. This is what we get for going to a popular hangout for East High students. Anyone for speed skating?"

Chad and Ryan look at each other then give a reluctant nod. "We can try but there are no promises that we won't land on our faces!" Ryan replies.

The three boys take off, picking up their pace a little more. As they pass Gabriella, Taylor and Martha, they motion for them to keep pace, Troy grabbing Gabriella's hand in the process to ensure she was with him. Taylor throws a questioning look to Chad who motions with his head to look behind them where she sees the cheerleaders getting closer. Before they could think of another escape tactic, the DJ breaks the music string and announces that it is couple only skating time. After a collective groan from the single teens who had to get off the ice, only the couples were left skating to a much slower, romantic tune.

Ryan, Martha, Kelsi, and Jason all took seats next to the rink as they watched the three couples of their group skate together. Kelsi looks across the way and sees the looks the cheerleaders, especially Jasmine, are giving Gabriella and Troy. "Hey Martha, what do you think Jasmine is planning in that little brunette head of hers?" she asks, directing all their attention across the way.

"Whatever it is, it does not look like a good thing by that evil look on her face," Martha replies. "Can't they just get a new idol, maybe the football captain instead of the basketball captain?"

Jason laughs. "You would think that would be the easier plan than trying to mess with our already committed basketball captain. But, then again, that would be the smart thing to do."

Ryan chuckles and high fives Jason. "Good one Jason!"

Out on the ice, Gabriella and Troy are skating together, hand in hand, noticing nothing but each other. "Mmm, this feels so good Troy. Being here with you, with our friends, and enjoying life as we should be enjoying it as teenagers," she murmurs, looking up at her boyfriend.

"I couldn't agree more. Friday night with the love of my life on my arm, surrounded by our constant friends, and yet exercising to keep my legs and heart in shape. Definitely have the best of both worlds here!" Troy returns.

"Of course you had to throw in the exercise part. You spoiled the romance right out of the moment Bolton!"

Troy chuckles and says, "You know I still have basketball season on the brain, even if it is the weekend. It was one of those quirks I know you so fell in love with!"

"Right, sure. I think I more fell in love with the guy who convinced me it was okay to sing in front of people and who overcame all the adversity at high school to take a chance with the new girl. That's what and who I fell in love with," she says, noticing Troy and slowed down their pace.

When they were at the side of the rink where there was a wall and no seats, Troy stops them completely and swings around to face Gabriella. He puts his hands on her face, making brown eyes connect with blue eyes, and says, "And I fell in love with the girl who taught me it was okay to be different and be who I really am, friends behind me or not. I love the woman who has seen past the Wildcat basketball captain and sees the man I am, not what stereotype is put on me with the title."

The two lean in and kiss, not realizing that the two other couples on the ice who were their friends had also stopped and watched the two with goofy grins on their faces. After a little while of watching the two exchange sweet kisses, Chad had enough of Sharpay and Taylor oohing and yells, "Get a room!"

Gabriella and Troy break apart and smile guiltily but happily at their friends. "Please, you and Taylor do much worse when you're in the mood," Troy calls back, laughing as Chad and Taylor both blush. "See, you know what I'm talking about!"

The DJ announces it is now girls' time on the ice, forcing the Troy, Chad, and Zeke to skate off and take seats next to Ryan and Jason. Kelsi and Martha quickly get back on the ice and join the other three for a few rounds, each of them holding the hand of the girl next to them. As they were skating they were telling jokes to each other and laughing so much that they guys couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. "Whatever it is, they are having a fantastic time without us," Zeke notes, never breaking his gaze from Sharpay's blonde head.

Out of nowhere, Troy spots Jasmine and her crew advancing quickly on the girls. "Oh no, what is she up to now?" he wonders out loud, causing the other guys to look in the same direction.

"It looks like they are up to trouble," Chad replies, watching as the cheerleaders started picking up speed. "TAYLOR! GABRIELLA! LOOK BEHIND YOU!"

Of course from that distance neither girl heard him and were therefore surprised when their hands were broken away from each other and Gabriella felt a hard push, forcing her to fall onto the ice. The cheerleaders slow down after doing their damage and turn around to face Sharpay, Taylor, Martha, and Kelsi who are trying to help Gabriella up.

"Watch where you're going will you?" Jasmine snarls. "You could have hurt us and then where would our basketball stars be without their biggest fans? You certainly aren't them."

Martha glares back at her and is about to say something when Gabriella lets out a moan and a sob. She looks down at her friend and notices that Gabriella is clutching her left hand which is now covered in red. 'Oh my goddess, she must have cut her hand on her skates or something!'

Troy rushes onto the ice and drops down to the ice where Gabriella is still clutching her hand. He props her back up against him and gently tries to pull her right hand away so he could look at it. Troy inwardly curses as he sees there is more blood coming out of the gash. Not having anything else, Troy pulls off his Wildcats sweatshirt and wraps her left hand in it, not caring that he would never be able to wear the sweatshirt again. All he was worried about was Gabriella. He can hear her crying from the pain, silently but still crying the same, and kisses her temple. "Shh, Gabriella it is going to be okay. I promise I won't let anything more happen to you," he reassures her in the softest voice he could. She snuggles deeper into his embrace while holding the sweatshirt wrapped around her hand, hoping that would stop the bleeding.

Soon the paramedics come onto the ice and exam her hand as the rest of the group of friends watch from a few feet away as to not crowd Gabriella. They got a moment of satisfaction though as they watched Jasmine and the rest of the cheerleaders get tossed out of the ice skating rink for good for what they had done. "A small price to pay for what they did but at least they are gone," Taylor murmurs, Chad nodding his head. "I hope Gabriella is going to be okay."

Chad wraps his arms around Taylor more to reassure her. "I'm sure she will, it's only a cut to the hand it looks like, she'll be fine."

The paramedics replace Troy's sweatshirt with gauze and a bandage but tell Gabriella they need to take her to the hospital for stitches and a Tetanus shot which she agrees to as she sees a dark red spot growing on the bandages already. Troy takes off their skates and grabs their shoes before joining Gabriella in the awaiting ambulance. The entire journey, Troy doesn't take his eyes off his girlfriend, who at this point is quiet but still sniffling. He holds her right hand, squeezing it every so often to let her know that he is still there for her.

Once outside of ER, the paramedics wheel Gabriella in, leaving Troy sitting in the waiting room. 'I better call Mrs. Montez,' he thinks, going outside real quick and pulling out his cell phone. She answered on the first ring and tells Troy she will be done right away. Having done this task, he goes back in and sits down, not noticing when Taylor and Chad sit beside him.

"How's she doing?" Taylor asks, startling Troy. He looks up and gives her a grim smile.

"Well, to my knowledge, she isn't dying but it's still a serious cut. I can't believe Jasmine and her crew did that!" he exclaims, finally letting the anger come out. "How irresponsible and immature was that?"

Chad puts his arm around his friend and says, "I know, they were pretty stupid about it. I think you should have your dad talk to their coach. That's not Wildcat spirit they just displayed and they endangered another student's well being."

Troy nods his head in agreement. "Once I get home tonight after making sure Gabriella is okay, that's the first thing I am doing. After that, I never want to see Jasmine again or I may end up doing something I'm going to regret."

"Gabriella Montez?" asks a doctor in green scrubs.

"I'm her boyfriend," Troy replies, getting up and approaching him. "How's she doing?"

"Well, she has lost a good amount of blood from her wound but we were able to stop it and stitch it up. What was she doing when she was injured?"

Troy angrily explains that they were all ice skating and then she got pushed by a group of girls. The doctor nods his head and mentions that she probably did cut her hand on the ice skates during the fall somehow. "It could be that when she fell, she tried to stop herself but her feet slipped from under her and nailed her hand instead. That is possible since the cut was long and clean, indicating it was something sharp. Is her mother here?"

"I'm here," Mrs. Montez responds, running into the waiting room. "How's my baby?"

"As I was saying to her boyfriend her, she is going to be fine but she did lose a good amount of blood so she will be tired the next few days. She has five stitches in her palm and the side of her left hand that she will have to have removed in two weeks. I will send her home with a prescription for pain medicine and an ointment I want applied to help fend off any infections. She has already received her Tetanus shot but I want to make sure we stop anything before it starts," he explains, handing over the two prescriptions. "If you can go to the nurses' station Mrs. Montez, you can sign her out there and also settle the insurance."

Mrs. Montez nods her head in understanding and murmurs her thanks to the doctor before heading to the nurses' station. She comes back to the three teenagers and sits down next to them, waiting for Gabriella to be wheeled out. "So you say a group of cheerleaders did this to my baby?" she asks, looking at her daughter's friends and boyfriend. "Why?"

Taylor lets out a little sigh and explains as much as she can about Gabriella getting some crap from them for dating Troy out of jealousy at school but how they never expected that it would result in a form of violence. When Mrs. Montez turns her gaze to Troy, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Montez, I know it's my stupid fault. I should have protected her and put those girls in their place a long time ago," Troy says, knowing he would never forget the turmoil of emotions in Gabriella's mother's eyes.

Mrs. Montez shakes her head sadly. "Troy, you have no reason to feel guilty. As long as you didn't tell those cheerleaders to harm my baby or give them any reason to hope they could win you over by destroying my baby, there is nothing you did to cause this. I know Gabriella cares for you a lot." She wraps her arms around Troy and gives him a hug which he hadn't realized until then that he needed.

"Mom?" Gabriella calls out as she is wheeled out to the waiting room by an intern.

Mrs. Montez jumps out of her seat and runs to her daughter. "Thank God you are all right baby. Don't scare me like that ever again!" she exclaims, hugging Gabriella tightly.

"I won't as long as I can stay away from Jasmine," Gabriella responds, awkwardly returning the hug. Her mom helps her out of the wheelchair and tsks as she looks at Gabriella's hand that is stitched up with some bandages around it to protect the new stitches.

"Hey guys," she weakly greets, looking at the three who are behind her mom.

Troy rushes up and gives her a great big hug and a kiss on the lips, not caring they were in front of her mom. "I am so sorry I couldn't protect you from her," he murmurs into her hair. "I never would have thought she was capable of that type of behavior."

Gabriella lets out a dry laugh and replies, "It's a girl thing. Ever seen the movie 'Mean Girls'? That's not just a fictional world, it's the high school girl world. Will you come over and spend some time with me tonight?"

He nods his head in reply and wraps his arm around Gabriella's waist as they walk out. Chad and Taylor, who after giving Gabriella their own hugs and good wishes, decide to leave Gabriella in the care of her mother and Troy, not wanting to suffocate their dear friend. Gabriella promises to call Taylor tomorrow as soon as she gets up though before saying goodbye to her best friend and Chad.

Troy calls his parents to let them know something had happened to Gabriella and that he would be out a little later than curfew which his mother approved of under the circumstances. He didn't go into deep detail, just enough to let them know what was going on. 'There's enough time for that later,' he thinks, putting his arm around Gabriella's shoulders and bringing her head to rest between his left shoulder and his chin, her favorite cuddling spot. They wait in the backseat as Mrs. Montez stops off at the pharmacy to get the prescriptions, Troy content knowing that Gabriella had drifted off into peaceful sleep as they were sitting there. Troy's mind on the other hand was full of ranging emotions including anger, frustration, guilt, and love. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Jasmine and her crew would be so mean to this angel who was sleeping in his arms.

Mrs. Montez arrives back at the car and smiles seeing that her daughter had fallen into a peaceful sleep in Troy's arms while she was gone. She winks at Troy who smiles back before starting the car and driving home. Once there, seeing Gabriella hadn't stirred, Troy gently untangles himself from her and carries her into the house, up to her room in his arms, smiling as he sees how peaceful she still looks as he lays her on her double bed. He leaves momentarily so that Mrs. Montez can get her into more comfortable pajamas and enters again when she comes out to let him know Gabriella had woken up slightly.

"Hey," he greets, popping back into Gabriella's bedroom. "How are you feeling?"

"Can I say that drugs are wonderful?" she says, a smile playing on her lips. "I don't feel the pain from before at all. I guess that's why I slept so well."

"Probably. I'm just glad you are fine and are smiling back at me again instead of those tears. You know how upset I get when I see you cry Gabriella."

Her smile gets bigger as she sees the love and concern that is radiating at her from his blue eyes. "I know. Tell me that Jasmine got at least scolded by the ice rink security for what she did."

"Just scolded? Gabriella, she was lucky that she and her crew got banned from the ice skating rink tonight and going forward. She would have had an all out fight on her hands because Taylor, Sharpay, Martha and Kelsi looked like they were going to murder her, and that isn't counting how us guys felt. That was such a nasty thing they did, I still have trouble believing her capable of doing that."

"Because she's so sweet?" Gabriella asks sarcastically.

"No, because I just like to see the good in people I guess, a trait I learned from you Montez. I guess my eyes are wide open now," he responds. "Enough about her, she's not worth this time. Are you going to be all right?"

Gabriella nods her head. "I should be. I just need to rest this weekend, thank goodness it is the weekend, take care of the stitches and stay on those drugs and I should be good on Monday to go to school."

"You know, I don't think the school would fault you for not going in for a few days with your injury."

"Troy, it's senior year, I can't miss school. Besides, it's not like a lost my hand. It's still here, see?" she asks, wiggling the fingers on her left hand, causing her to wince in pain. "Mental note, don't wiggle fingers."

Troy chuckles and kisses her on her temple. "You are so cute sometimes Gabriella."

"Only sometimes?" she questions, looking him in the eyes.

"Well all the time but cuter at some moments than others. How about that?" he asks with a smile.

She nods and starts slowly allowing sleep to capture her conscious state. "Mind if I go to sleep?"

"Not at all," Troy responds, helping get her body under the sheet and duvet of her bed and tucking her in. "Get your rest Gabriella. I'll come by sometime tomorrow to check on you okay?"

Gabriella sleepily nods her head and whispers something before completely leaving him for Dreamland. Troy smiles brightly to himself as he leans down and kisses her on her lips before heading out the door and turning off the lights. "I love you too," he says before closing the door and taking one last look at his sleeping girlfriend.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

_**We're soarin, flyin', there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach…**_

Gabriella cracks open her eyes and looks at her offending alarm clock. She rubs her eyes and winces in pain as she remember her injury on her left hand and rolls out of bed, making sure not to aggravate her hand any further. She quickly makes her bed to the best of her ability and jumps into the bathroom to get ready for school.

7:15 rolls around just as Gabriella dumps her cereal bowl into the sink and grabs her bag to jump into Taylor's waiting car. The two drive to East High, talking here and there, both trying to wake up. When they neared the school, Taylor noticed Gabriella tense up a little.

"Are you going to be okay?" Taylor asks, keeping an eye on the road while also trying to study Gabriella's face.

"Sure, why not?" Gabriella fake cheerfully responds. "Just because I'm in pain and the brat who caused it is at school waiting for me is no reason to be apprehensive, right?"

"Gee, I'm glad your injury hasn't chased away your sarcastic side. I just wanted to make sure you were ready for school is all. We can turn back and go home if you want."

"I'm sorry Taylor, I didn't mean to kind of snap there. It's just that everyone keeps asking me if I am going to be okay and telling me that I'm so brave to be going to school right away. I just want to get back on track, you know?"

Taylor nods her head as she finds an empty parking spot and pulls in. "I completely understand what you are saying Gabriella. I just want to make sure that I am here for you, when you need me."

Gabriella leans over and gives Taylor a hug. "Taylor, you are the best friend any girl could wish for. Trust me, you are one of the first people I will turn to if I need anything."

The two head out of the car and approach East High, Gabriella scanning the crowds looking out for a certain brunette. Relieved she had gotten to her locker without seeing her, she turned her attention to getting her books out for White day, meaning she had Calculus, Physics, Lunch and Drama today. It also meant they got done a little bit earlier than the Red days, by about 50 minutes or so. When she is zipping up her backpack she gasps as she feels a familiar pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Good morning beautiful," Troy murmurs into her ear, causing her to smile. "How's my sweetie this morning?"

She turns around and kisses him softly on his lips. "Better now that you are here. Thanks for spending so much time with me this weekend and skipping the basketball practices the other guys were holding. It made me feel a lot better just having you around."

"Hey, it was worth it then. Although, I hate to say it but I have to start going to practice again or my dad is going to kill me. He's going to talk to the cheerleading coach too by the way, about what happened. Let's just say he was outraged on Friday night when I came home and told him about it."

Gabriella eyes him warily. "Are you sure that's a wise thing? Won't that just make them more upset?"

"To be honest, let them be upset. They deserve worse than a scolding for what they did to you," he responds, meaning every word. "The way I see it, the talk from their coach could make them see the light. One can hope at least right?"

"Such the optimist," Gabriella kids as she closes her locker and grabs her bag. "Walk me to Calculus?"

Troy offers her his arm and the two walk down the hall their separate math classes.

Gabriella, once seated, takes out her notebook and pulls out her homework, getting it ready to turn in. Taylor had also come over this weekend to help Gabriella do her homework so she wouldn't fall behind. Kelsi enters the room and takes her seat to the left of Gabriella and smiles when she sees Gabriella calmly getting ready for class. Taylor's giggle is heard from the doorway as Chad leans in and kisses her goodbye before he heads off to his math class with Troy.

Gabriella and Kelsi both tease Taylor lightly as she sits down to Gabriella's right and one seat up. "What?" Taylor asks, trying to hide the grin that insisted on appearing on her face. The other two giggle but school it as the bell rings to start class.

Five minutes into class though, a guy, about 5'10" with slightly spiked black hair in different directions, entered the room and handed the teacher a yellow slip of paper. Gabriella recognized the note as it was the same note she carried in with her after New Years when she transferred here to East High. The teacher nods and motions to the empty seat next to Gabriella and behind Taylor. "Mr. Smith, please take the seat behind Ms. McKessie."

The guy turns his gaze in the girls' direction and smiles, slowly making his way to the seat indicated. As he got closer, both Gabriella and Taylor slowly begin to recognize him and mouth to each other, "Hunter Smith!" with huge grins on their faces.

"Hi," he greets, sitting down in his assigned seat. "I'm Hunter."

Taylor can't get words out of her mouth so Gabriella chimes in for both of them. "I'm Gabriella and this is Taylor in front of you and Kelsi over to my left. Nice to meet you."

Hunter smiles back at her but changes his focus to his bag as he pulls out a notebook, noticing that the teacher started the lesson already. He turns his attention to the board and copies down the homework assignments that are still on the board from last week so he could catch up. 'Gotta make sure I grab a book on my way out,' he notes to himself, still trying to catch up with the teacher's lesson.

Gabriella had a very tough time focusing after Hunter Smith had entered her Calculus class. Usually Gabriella would never be the one to completely space out in class but that's what happened until the teacher came by to pick up homework and had to ask for hers twice before she noticed her. She gulped as she handed it to the teacher and shrank down in her seat a little lower not believing she had just made a fool of herself in front of her celebrity crush. Gabriella glances over in Hunter's direction and blushes as he catches her and smiles. She quickly looks away and starts to copy notes down from the board furiously to catch up on what she missed.

The bell soon rings and she gathers up her stuff, placing everything back in a bag. Gabriella winces as she tries grabbing it with her left hand, the usual hand she used to pick up her bag from these desks at school but uses her right instead. She makes it into the hallway, clutching her left hand, when she hears her name being called out.

"Gabriella, wait!" Hunter says, running up to her. "I hate to be the new kid here but where's the science wing? I have Physics and have no idea where it is."

She smiles at him and replies, "It's right down here. I am actually heading to the same class and don't worry about being the new kid. That we me last year. Why don't you come with me?"

"That would be great," he replies, returning her smile which she couldn't help but stare at. "Umm, Gabriella, you know who I am don't you?"

Gabriella guilty turns her gaze away from him and blushes. "That obvious huh?"

"It's okay, at least you and your friends didn't scream when you recognized me. I'm sadly used to that and trust me, as much as I love my fans, I am starting to go deaf from it."

She laughs and starts walking down the hall. "Well, at least you know that I know who you are. I hope that doesn't scare you."

"Unless you are one of those stalker fans, I'm not scared of you at all. If anything, flattered that I have such a pretty admirer."

Gabriella blushes again and turns her attention to an all too familiar cackle coming from Jasmine whose locker is down in the science wing. "Oh God, not her."

Hunter looks down the hall and sees a brunette cheerleader shooting daggers at the girl next to him. "What's the deal? Queen Bee or something?"

"Captain of the cheerleading squad," she murmurs, never taking her eyes off of Jasmine. "We had a little run in on Friday and let's just say that I didn't come out of it unscathed."

He looks down at the hand she had been holding this whole time and realizes that it is bandaged. "Oh, bodily injury. Don't tell me that cheerleader attacked you."

She shakes her head. "Not with a knife. Pushed me and my friends with her crew as we were ice skating and just my luck, I sliced my hand on one of the ice skates I was wearing when I fell. She is really the last person I want to see right now."

"Ah, not the fighting type huh? I understand and admire it. Let's get to class shall we? I think the bell is going to ring soon and I have to check in with the Physics teacher," Hunter replies, putting his arm around her shoulder in a comforting gesture as they walk past Jasmine who is now looking over at them with an interested glance as they head to class.

'Hmm, maybe I don't have to do much more to break up Gabriella and Troy after all,' she thinks, closing her locker and heading to lunch with her friends. Jasmine walks out to the cafeteria and smiles as she sees Troy sitting with Sharpay, Martha, and Jason at their usual table. She grabs one of her friends and positions themselves close enough to the table for them to be able to hear their projected voices.

"Shannon, can you believe it? How could Gabriella be so sweet and nice to that new guy? He was practically all over her. I mean, what would Troy think if he walked down the hall and saw the two of them going at it?" Jasmine says in a little louder of a voice than normal.

Shannon giggles. "I know, Gabriella is such a slut! Attaching herself to the hot new guy. Doesn't she have any self respect?"

"Oh well, I guess she is the way she is. Who are we to judge her?" Jasmine innocently asks, walking away from the group with Shannon. "Nicely done Shannon. Now that the seeds are planted, let's see what happens!"

Back at the table, sure enough, the foursome heard every word. Troy has a worried look on his face and Sharpay could not believe what the two cheerleaders had just pulled. "Troy, seriously, get a grip. She is totally lying about this new guy. Gabriella is in love with you, she's not going to throw her affections elsewhere that easily."

Troy thinks about what Sharpay just said and gives her a small smile. "I guess you are right. I can't believe that I even considered there to be any truth in that. After all, that was just Jasmine and Shannon talking we are discussing here."

"Exactly!" Martha chimes in. "We all know after Friday that she's desperate in her plans to separate you two. I wouldn't put it past her to make some story up!"

Unfortunately, the word was starting to get around at that moment in the cafeteria about Hunter Smith becoming an East High Wildcat that morning. Sharpay overhears the news from two tables down which were made of musicians and gasps. "No way!" she exclaims.

"What?" Jason asks, wondering what Sharpay had just heard. "What did you just eavesdrop?"

"Hunter Smith is here at East High! He must have just transferred here. I heard he was moving with his parents in between projects but I didn't hear he was moving here to Albuquerque! That's so exciting!" she exclaims, causing Jason to roll his eyes. "I wonder where he is."

Martha and Jason were so busy watching the very animated Sharpay get up and look around for this supposed star in their midst that they didn't see Troy pale and let out a huge gulp as he recognized the name. 'The star who is Gabriella's fantasy and subject of her fan fiction. Hunter Smith, the one guy that I never wanted to meet, especially now. Oh my God, what if Jasmine was talking about him and Gabriella?' he thinks, putting his head in his hands. 'If this is true, what am I going to do?'

Troy could truthfully say he did not absorb a bit of what went on during English today. He just could not get his mind off of the idea that Gabriella could have classes and be in touch already with this hot shot star, Hunter Smith, that she has fantasized about. Much to Jasmine's frustration, Troy hadn't even noticed she was flirting with him in class, as bold as she got, he just wasn't there beyond physically.

Sitting down in Drama, he is still so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't hear Gabriella calling his name while making her way to her seat in front of him. It isn't until she gives him a quick peck on the cheek before taking her seat that he snaps to and sees her smiling back at him. "Troy, where on earth have you been?" she giggles, watching as he blinks his eyes a few times.

"Just thinking," he says, feeling better having her close to him again. So much better in fact that he leans over the front of his desk and hugs her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Not that I mind or anything but what was that for?" she asks, still smiling.

"Just cause?" he replies, suppressing the bad feelings that had plagued him since lunch.

Ryan, Kelsi, and Sharpay plop into their seats nearby and Sharpay immediately turns her attention to Gabriella. "So, Gabriella, is it true? Is Hunter Smith really here?"

Gabriella turns her attention from him to Sharpay and nods her head. "Yup, and can I just say he is so down to earth!" she exclaims, causing Sharpay to shriek in excitement. "He was in my morning classes and had the same lunch as us. Kelsi and Ryan met him."

The two nod in agreement. "He is pretty cool. I would have expected major ego the way these girls around the halls have been drooling not to mention his fans worldwide but he seem pretty chill," Ryan says, noticing a change of emotions on Troy's face. "Troy, bud, you okay?"

Gabriella turns her head back to Troy with a look of concern on her face. "Yeah Troy, you don't look too good. What's the matter sweetie?"

"Were you by chance making out with this Hunter guy?" he asks, instantly regretting his urge to speak and saying what was on his mind.

"Troy Bolton, how dare you even think of asking me that! Of course not. The only boy I made out with today was you!" she exclaims in disbelief. "At most I showed him to the classes we shared and introduced him to our friends so he wasn't sitting by himself. Do you really not trust me?"

"Gabriella, it's not that I don't trust you. It's more that I don't trust him! I don't even know the guy but a few rumors were running around and…"

"Bolton, you better not be talking about what that vicious Jasmine was gossiping about again!" Sharpay interjects, noticing the heated argument the couple was getting into. "Gabriella, he's referring to some projected gossip Shannon and Jasmine were having, implying you were getting awfully close to the new guy who turns out to be Hunter Smith."

"Is this true? You actually believed what you heard from those two?" Gabriella asks, searching Troy's face for the truth.

Reluctantly Troy nods. "It's not that I want to believe them, trust me I don't. I just had to ask for my own peace of mind. Any other guy and I wouldn't think twice but come on Gabriella, this is the guy you are writing about in your story!"

Ryan, Sharpay, and Kelsi have questioning looks on their faces as they did not have an inkling about the stories Gabriella and Taylor have been writing but hold their silence. Slowly Gabriella understands the fuel behind Troy's sudden jealousy. "Troy, honestly, I wasn't anything but friendly with the guy. Yes, he's a famous actor and singer, yes he is the hero in my story, but he is not the guy for me in reality. You are!"

Troy studies his girlfriend's face for a minute and nods. "I'm sorry, I was being stupid again. I shouldn't have doubted you. I guess his star power got to me."

She pats his hands that are on his desk with her left bandaged hand and smiles. "Just don't let it happen again," she says before turning back around and looking at the board that Darbus was writing on. 'Wow, I don't think I have ever seen him that jealous before or upset,' she thinks before starting to jot down the notes from the board. 'I just hope he truly feels more secure now, I would hate for him to start doubting us again.'


	7. Chapter 7

**I want to say a very big and heartfelt thank you to those of you who have read this story and have reviewed. It has been a long time since I last wrote and it is encouraging to read your kind words. Hopefully this story will live up to your expectations!**

Ch. 7

It wasn't until the next morning that Gabriella ran into Hunter again. She was walking to A.P. English with Taylor and saw him coming from the opposite direction. He smiles as he spots them and meets them in front of the door to their class. "So we meet again," he says, causing Gabriella and Taylor to smile back at him. "I guess I should start thanking the fates for making me so ambitious to try to get college credits early so I could share these classes with you."

"Stop being such a flirt," Gabriella replies, walking into class and taking her seat next to Taylor who is giving her one of those looks that spoke volumes without words. She responds with her own look which Hunter interprets as girl talk as he sits two rows over from the two after talking to the teacher and hearing the bell ring. The period passes pretty fast for all three of them and soon the dismissal bell for the period rings. Hunter pulls out his new schedule again and leaves the room to try to find the class on his own this time.

"Gabriella, you are so flirting with him," Taylor says to Gabriella as they walk behind Hunter who is clearly lost. "Not that I blame you but don't you think Troy will be upset?"

Gabriella sighs at this comment. "Truthfully, he probably would be and I really am not trying to flirt but it kind of just happens. Hunter is a natural charmer and I don't realize that I am flirting until I actually am. I have to make a more conscious decision not to do it anymore, I agree."

Satisfied with her answer, Taylor lets the subject drop as they reach their classroom for Latin 3 and drop off their homework in the basket on the teacher's desk. They take their seats which are unfortunately on opposite sides of the room since the teacher arranged it by first name alphabetically which ends any other conversation the two girls would have had with each other.

-----

After Art History is over, Troy rushes out of the room, not even waiting for Chad who was also in the class, and runs to his locker. There he dumps his books, taking out the single red rose which somehow survived all morning there, and grabs his lunch to then make a mad dash for Gabriella's locker.

All the rushing is well worth it as he sees a huge smile spread across her face as Gabriella sees Troy leaning against her locker with a single rose and a sweet smile. "Aww, Troy, that is so sweet of you," she says, giving him a kiss before taking the rose from him. "You ran all the way here to be here waiting didn't you?"

"How is it that you read me so well and know me to such extent Gabriella?" Troy asks in amazement. "Somehow you just got into my brain or something."

"Or something," she responds, laughing at his face. "Now come on, it's time to eat and I am ravenous!"

Troy grabs her uninjured hand as they walk to the cafeteria and a familiar table they use on Red days when the whole group of friends are together. They sit down and fall into a comfortable conversation with the gang that is there while digging into their lunches.

"Hey, can we make room for one more?" Sharpay asks. "I found Hunter looking for a group to eat with and I thought it would be nice if we welcomed him to our table, the integrated group table."

Hunter lets out a laugh. "Integrated group table?"

Taylor nods her head in confirmation. "And we aren't talking ethnicity here superstar. We are talking high school cliques. I may as well go through this with you as I introduce you to everyone." Hunter takes a seat next to Gabriella but gives his attention to Taylor right away. "So, we have Sharpay who you walked with here who is the resident Drama diva, but we love her anyway for some reason…"

"Hey!" Sharpay protests with a laugh. "I am not that bad Hunter, really."

"Yeah, post-Zeke!" Chad jokes, earning a glare from Sharpay and a kick under the table from Zeke.

"Moving on," Taylor says, gaining control of the conversation again. "To Sharpay's left is her boyfriend Zeke who is on the varsity basketball team but bakes the best desserts ever. Next to him is Martha who is considered to be a study geek but loves to dance. Then there is Ryan who is Sharpay's brother and also a resident drama enthusiast. Kelsi is next to him who is our musician and composer. Jason is next to her who is also on the varsity basketball team. Then there's Chad who is my boyfriend and also on the varsity basketball team. Of course there is me, then next to me is someone I don't think you have met yet at all. This is Troy, our varsity basketball captain and then next to you, well I don't think I need to describe her hobbies to give you the picture."

Hunter laughs and sees Gabriella blush a little. "Gabriella, the intelligent girl who to my understanding competes in the scholastic decathlon with you Taylor and is also in the musicales with Sharpay, Ryan, and Kelsi right?"

"Wow, am I that easy to peg?" Gabriella asks.

"No, just gathered that from all our conversations. Remember, actor here. I have learned to absorb all I can and retain it quick! But I would agree with Taylor's description. This is a group of friends that cross the normal high school cliques which is really cool. Guess I just add to the mix just by sitting with you. Would I be better off going to the hardcore acting group only?" he asks, teasing the people he had already gotten to know over the past day and a half. In truth, Hunter really didn't warm up to people that easily and therefore didn't want to go filter through acts and ploys to find another group of potential friends at his new school.

"Not at all, stay," Ryan invites, ignoring the glare he got from a few of the guys. "The more the merrier!"

"Cool," Hunter replies, biting into his sandwich. "So, when are the auditions for the fall musicale?"

Sharpay's face lights up at the mere mention of the musicale. "Actually, the auditions are this afternoon. Thinking of joining?" she asks, intrigued that he would even think of doing a high school production after all his success.

"Maybe. I'm assuming you and Ryan both are. Gabriella, are you going to be auditioning?" Hunter asks, turning his attention back to the girl sitting next to him. "I would need a partner for the lead audition right?"

"Not necessarily," Kelsi supplies, becoming uneasy with the tension that is slowly developing at the table. "You can always sing by yourself. I'm sure Darbus wouldn't mind in your case."

Before Gabriella could answer Troy speaks up and wraps his arm around Gabriella's shoulders possessively. "Actually, Gabriella and I are going to be auditioning together this afternoon."

"I thought you had basketball practice," Gabriella responds, confused over the change of heart. "Isn't that what you told me the other day?"

"Well yeah, I have to talk to coach about it but I'm pretty sure he'll let me audition with my girlfriend. We just have to work around the schedules for practice and rehearsals like we did for the winter one, assuming we make it in."

Everyone stays silent, watching the three, with Gabriella literally in the middle. "I guess that's it then, I'll audition by myself," Hunter says, laughing a little inside himself at Troy's possessive nature. 'That is certainly interesting; I never would have pegged Gabriella to be with a guy who dominated like that.'

"Okay, with that settled, who wants a chocolate chip cookie?" Zeke asks, hoping to break the moment which he is successful in as everyone reaches for the plate and munches on the cookies happily.

Gabriella, although enjoying the cookie, is still a bit disturbed by what just happened. She checks her watch and sees they have about 15 minutes more until the bell to go to their next class which Troy and she shared, PE. "Troy, can we go talk?" she asks, letting her facial expression tell Troy this was serious.

Troy nods his head and the two grab what is remaining of their lunches and head to their spot, the garden on the roof. As they sit down, Gabriella looks at Troy who is currently finding the ground very interesting. "All right, do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Gabriella questions, hoping to get to the bottom of this before their next class.

He lets out a sigh and says, "Well, to be honest, I don't really know. The situation just rubbed me the wrong way and my instinct kicked in and I said what I did. Gabriella, I don't know if you are blind to this or know and don't care but Hunter is interested in you. On what level I can't tell at this point but he's made it an effort to get to know your tendencies which is definitely a sign of interest if nothing else."

"So you decide to become Mr. Macho Man and show him that I'm your girl before he thinks of trying something?"

"No, it's nothing like that!" Troy exclaims, finally looking up and into Gabriella's eyes. "I just, well, I just didn't want to lose you without a fight. Maybe this is payback for all the hurt and torture I have inadvertently put you through with Sharpay and now Jasmine but I just don't like the feeling that you could slip through my fingers again, after everything we have gone through."

"Troy, you have to trust me, just as I have trusted you all these times. Sure, I get mad and annoyed sometimes when you don't fend off the girls as well as I think you can but I trust that you would never betray me or our love. As upset as I was the first day at school, I knew deep down in my heart that you wouldn't do anything like that to me but my fears kicked into overdrive. I have those fears too Troy, the ones where I think I'm going to lose you to some other girl or to your passion for basketball," Gabriella admits, knowing it wasn't all that smart to expose all her vulnerabilities but was willing to lay it all out for her boyfriend to see and understand. "Yet, I find myself always wanting to believe that the fears are just that, fears and not fact."

He smiles a little in return. "I guess then that we share yet another thing in common, the fear of losing one another. And to be honest, I kind of spoiled my surprise for this afternoon in my need to be Mr. Macho Man as you called it."

"What do you mean?" she questions, confused by what he said.

"I mean, I was going to have Taylor drag you to the auditions anyway, and as your name was to be called, I was just going to appear next to you. I know we took the spring musicale off but I got this feeling from you over the summer that you wanted to do the fall one and so I prepped myself and of course my dad for it. Dad already knows where I'll be this afternoon, which is of course going to be auditioning with you."

"Really?" Gabriella asks, a bit skeptical. "You were really planning on the audition today?"

Troy nods. "I wouldn't lie to you about it just to cover my behind if that's what you are thinking. Come on now, have some faith in me."

Gabriella smiles. "Of course I have faith in you, and I do believe you. Question is, can you trust me to not fall for Hunter's star charm?"

"I can if you can deal with me having to be around the cheerleaders at practices and games."

"Which I have already committed to. I guess then Mr. Bolton that we have ourselves an understanding," Gabriella says with a smile. "What song were you going to have Kelsi play today?"

"Oh yeah, I arranged that with her too. 'Everyday' is what I had her prepare for us. Can I also say what good secret keepers Taylor and Kelsi are?"

Gabriella laughs, making him smile even more. She looks at her watch and realizes the bell is about to ring. "We better get going down to the gym for PE," she says, getting up from the bench and throwing her trash away.

Troy follows suit but grabs her uninjured hand before she could go down the stairs, and slowly draws her to him so she is standing right in front of him. He wraps his arms around her waist and leans his head down to capture her lips, just as the bell rings. Troy pulls away and smiles at her, enjoying the look of contentment on her face. "I love you," he whispers, before kissing her one last time.

"And I love you," she responds as they break apart, meaning every single word of the declaration. "With all my heart."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8 

It was Thursday afternoon and the final cast list for the fall musicale was promised to be up on the drama bulletin by the end of school. There were no call backs this time around as Darbus said there were more than enough roles that had equal lead weight, which of course helped soothe the competitive vibe between the students. Gabriella, Sharpay, and Hunter all stare at the clock from Family Living as the seconds seem to creep by slower and slower. Zeke notices and chuckles, distracting Sharpay.

"What are you laughing at Zeke?" she asks in a not so quiet voice, disturbed that her boyfriend started laughing out of nowhere.

The teacher notices and asks, "Is there something you would like to share with the class Ms. Evans?"

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "No Ms. Kline. Nothing at all."

The bell rings and Gabriella, along with Hunter, are the first ones out, running down the hall to the bulletin board. They aren't the first ones there though so they have to wait behind a group of kids who are already there. Hunter, being taller than most of the kids in front of him, spots the list and smiles. "We both got in Gabriella!" he exclaims, looking at her as a grin spreads across her face.

"Really?" she asks. "What role?"

"I don't know, it just has a list of who is in and not. Says there is a meeting in 15 minutes in the theater for those in," he reads from the instructions above the list.

Gabriella hugs Hunter out of excitement of even getting in again after skipping out on the spring musicale, a hug that Hunter returns. He pulls away and grimaces as he sees Troy shooting him death glares from down the hall. "Uh oh," Hunter says to Gabriella, causing her to look up concerned into his brown eyes. "I think I better send you down the hall. Your boyfriend looks none too pleased."

Gabriella turns her head and spots Troy who is standing in the hall, looking devastated. Without a word she leaves Hunter and walks down the hall, grateful that Troy seems to be waiting for her. "I think we need to talk," he says, never taking his eyes off of Hunter who is watching the pair near the bulletin board.

She nods her head and they turn to walk out to the field together, not even touching arms. Ryan comes by and sees the two, making his way to his locker from the drama posting. "Congratulations you two! See you in 10 minutes in the theater!" he calls out, not slowing his pace as he had a lot to do before that meeting with Darbus.

Troy shoots Gabriella a questioning look. "You and I both made it in but Darbus has not assigned roles. She's going to assign them at the meeting I think."

He nods his head in understanding and takes a seat on a nearby bench which Gabriella also sits down on. "So, want to tell me what that was?" he asks, studying his hands.

Gabriella takes a deep breath and answers by saying, "It was a hug, an innocent hug that was done out of pure excitement that we got in. Nothing more and nothing less."

Troy doesn't say anything for a few moments so Gabriella reaches out her left hand and gently turns his head towards her so she's looking into his eyes. She is brought close to tears as she sees the amount of pain and sadness that resides behind the normally sparkling blue eyes. Her intuition kicks in, giving her only a hint about what was coming.

He searches Gabriella's face and sees the tears start welling in her eyes. 'She knows,' he thinks, laying his head a little into her injured hand which he feels guilty for all over again as he feels not her soft palm on his cheek but the bandage from the accident. "I don't want to do this Gabriella, in fact it is breaking my heart to do this, but…I'm breaking up with you."

Gabriella just stares back at him, shocked to hear those words coming out of his mouth. She felt a few tears slide down her cheek, leaving a salty wet trail in their wake. Troy's fingers move to softly brush them away as they threaten to fall from her face, allowing Gabriella to feel the trembles that his own body is having. She looks up and sees a single tear falling down Troy's face which he quickly wipes away before it hits his mid-cheek.

"Why Troy?" she asks, unable to speak louder than a whisper.

Troy lets out a long breath and replies, "I owe it to you. I know, we just talked about how I trust you and how I can stand by your side through anything, as you do me, but I can't help but feel guilty that I'm stopping you from following your true heart's desires. You know that I am absolutely and crazily in love with you but I can't be the reason you don't realize your fantasy. I release you from me to, I can't believe I'm saying this, go after your fantasy guy."

"But Troy," she starts, only to be interrupted.

"Gabriella, I can see he really likes you. Like you said this summer to me, you need to find out who you are and what you truly want. I'm not going to feel like I'm letting you do that unless I let you go and try," he says, letting out a dry laugh. "Who would have ever thought that after all that we've been through that I would be breaking up with you? I certainly never saw it coming."

"Then don't Troy," she begs, more tears slowly falling down her cheeks. "I don't need to be apart from you to feel complete or to find my dreams. We had that break this summer and I realized that there isn't anyone else for me but you. The true Troy Bolton."

Troy feels relief fill his body but shakes his head. "No, you need to go do this for yourself and in a way for us. I won't be able to sit here with you, being in this relationship, without knowing if your fantasy, your fan fiction romance, could be real, all knowing that I was the reason it isn't becoming reality. Besides, if not for Hunter, I'd still feel guilty over what has happened to you at the hands of Jasmine. See, there really are a lot of reasons as to why we need to break up."

Sadly Gabriella realizes that there would be no changing his mind on this subject, that he got it in his head that this was the way it was to be but she still needed to say her piece. "Troy…" she starts, making sure he was looking at her and not at the grass. "What you are doing is admirable but crazy. I understand, at least I am trying to understand, your point of view on this. It makes some sense to me, wanting to make sure that our love is true, but I feel like it has gone through so many tests already that it doesn't need another try. However, I know you well enough to know that there is no changing your mind on this. I can't promise you that I'm going to go out there and do what your intentions are. Truthfully, I can't even fathom it because the only man in my heart and being is you Troy Bolton. You are the reason that I smile in the morning when I wake up and when I go to sleep at night. You are the cause for my passion of singing all those love songs I've been working on with Kelsi and what we have performed. You are the first true love I have ever experienced and you will always be in my heart."

Troy wraps Gabriella in a hug as both their bodies tremble from the tears and the sobs. After a few moments, he pulls himself away to wipe his face with his t-shirt sleeves and kisses her one last time. He can taste the salt from their mingled tears and feels his heart break even more as he pulls away and sees her lovingly, but sadly, looking back. "I love you Gabriella Montez."

"Then don't do this," she responds, pleading with him with her eyes.

He shakes his head and gets up off the bench. "I have to. If not to let you live out the what if potential in your fantasy, then to let us both discover if what we have, our love, is meant to last and stand the test of time."

Before Gabriella could speak again, Troy turns and walks towards the gym, knowing he would be unable to stomach going through with the fall musicale with the way things were with Gabriella. He lets a few more tears fall as he hears Gabriella, now in the distance, quietly crying some more. "I'm sorry," he whispers as he pauses outside the gym but not daring to look back. "One day soon, I hope fate will bring us back together."

----

Concerned that Gabriella nor Troy were in the drama meeting, much to Darbus' annoyance, Ryan came out looking for them, spotting Troy just leaving Gabriella on a bench in the field, seeing Gabriella's body start shaking with what it looked like as sobs.

"Ryan, what is it?" Sharpay asks, seeing the concerned look on her brother's face.

"Nothing. I'll catch you later at home," he responds, walking in the direction of where Gabriella is still sitting.

Sharpay looks in the direction of where Ryan is walking and sees Gabriella in a distraught state. 'I better leave him to it,' she thinks, knowing that her presence may not be all that wanted since she and Gabriella had just recently started to become friends after all the summer turmoil. Sharpay spots Hunter who is looking around the halls, probably for the girl out on the field, and she decides to intercept him before he could see Gabriella. "Hunter," she calls out. "Why don't you walk me to my car?"

Surprised, Hunter agrees and walks with Sharpay, listening to her unending discussion of the fall musicale and what pink sparkly outfits she wanted to wear for her character. He sees a flash of light out of the corner of his eye and groans internally. 'Guess my cover is finally blown,' he thinks realizing that at least two paparazzi were in the student parking lot, currently taking pictures of him. 'Why can't they just let me live a normal teen life?'

Once Sharpay is in her car, Hunter journeys over to his motorcycle and jumps on, quickly leaving the paparazzi behind.

----

Back on the field, Gabriella startles as she feels a pair of arms wrap her in a hug. She slows down her crying, looking up at her comforter. "Ryan?" she gets out, trying to slow down her breathing.

"Hey Gabriella," he responds, handing her a tissue from his bag. "Here, I think you may want this."

She gratefully accepts and wipes her face and nose, realizing she must look like a total mess. "Thank you," she murmurs, now having to deal with hiccups.

"So what's wrong?" he asks, having a feeling it had to do with Troy.

Gabriella sadly shakes her head. "Troy, well, he broke up with me."

"WHAT?" Ryan exclaims, causing Gabriella to slightly jump. "Sorry, I just can't believe that. Why?"

"He felt it was what he had to do. I think it's a mix of things really," she responds. "From the recent activities of Jasmine, the summer drama with your sister, and now the appearance of Hunter Smith. Everything combined makes our relationship very dramatic in a way and he's releasing me of it."

"Is this what you wanted?"

"No! Not at all. I love Troy, with all my being, but he's stubborn! Once I saw that determination in his eyes, I knew it was over," she says, a trace of anger replacing the hurt in her voice earlier. "He just, I don't know, frustrates me because I want to be with him, I want to have a senior year at East High full of special memories with him, not of us being apart and heartbreak and tears!"

"Maybe then, and call me crazy, the best way to get him back is to go out there and do what he wants you to do."

Gabriella looks at Ryan, considering what he is saying. "You mean, to get Troy back I have to date another guy, specifically Hunter Smith. Somehow that doesn't make the most sense to me Ryan."

"Like I said, it's crazy but it may be the only way. Think on this Gabriella. Troy told you he wanted to not be in your way so you had this chance to live out 'your fantasy' love match in so many words right? Do you think he would even allow himself to consider you getting back together if you didn't do this? In a way, he is also doing this for himself."

"What are you talking about?" a puzzled Gabriella asks.

"I am talking about the fact that unless you pursue a relationship beyond friends with Hunter and see it through, Troy, filled with his jealousy and self doubt, is going to always wonder if you truly love him or this star idol we have among our presence here at East High. I bet, in his mind, he probably even thinks that he is beating Hunter to the punch and instead of having Hunter steal you away, Troy is giving you to him."

"But I'm not a piece of something that he can give away!" she exclaims, looking at the gym where she can hear the guys practicing.

Ryan puts a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I know that. All I am trying to say is that you have to be willing to give this a solid shot, to try to work something out with Hunter, in order for you and Troy to have any hope again."

Gabriella shakes her head, still trying to wrap her mind around everything. "Crazy as it sounds, Ryan, I think you have a big, big point. I just don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't want to be going out with another guy, not even a date, but I guess I inadvertently owe it to Troy and me."

"It would appear so," Ryan responds, hoping what he said would truly steer Gabriella in the right direction. He is surprised as he feels Gabriella embrace him in a friendly hug and murmur her thanks. "Want a ride home?"

She nods her head and they head to the student parking lot and to Ryan's car. Once buckled in, Gabriella turns her gaze for one last glimpse of the gym where she knows Troy is practicing again and lets her thoughts wander as Ryan drives away, taking her home.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Troy had spent all weekend with the guys after spending all Friday avoiding Gabriella at all costs. He spent time practicing with his friends, working out with them, playing video games with them, and even eating with them. Chad, Zeke, and Jason were all there for him, the brothers that they were, supporting him where they could. All of them had been shocked by Troy's actions, each knowing they would never forget the absolutely distraught and devastated look on their friend's face as he entered the gym on Thursday. They had continued practice after he had shortly told Coach Bolton that he wanted to just play, giving him an outlet for his emotions.

Now as Troy and Chad drove up together, Chad looks over at his best friend from preschool with concern written all over his face. "Are you sure you can do this Troy?" he asks, knowing that had the positions been changed that Chad himself wouldn't want to be at school today.

Troy nods his head and stays focused on the school that is becoming larger as they drive closer. "This was my doing, and I have to deal with the consequences, no matter the pain," he replies, unbuckling his seatbelt as Chad parks.

"Hey Chad," Taylor greets, giving him a small kiss. "Hi Troy"

Feeling a pang in his heart at the sight of his best friend with his girlfriend, Troy murmurs a quick hello before ducking into the halls of East High.

"How was this weekend?" Taylor asks, not having seen Chad all weekend.

Chad takes Taylor's hand in his as they begin to walk to the school. "It was okay. Thanks for understanding by the way. Troy really needed his friends."

"No worries, it's the same for us girls. Although, I think Gabriella may have made more progress than him this weekend," she states. "Friday night when I came over to surprise her with a new CD I made for her to help cheer her up, she just started weeping and crying uncontrollably. We talked all night as we rehashed things that happened and that led up to the break up. Saturday she was more mellow, depressed but was as sociable as we could expect her to be when Ryan, Kelsi and Martha came over. Sunday though, I am not quite sure how it happened, but she had the most determined look on her face."

"Like she was going to win Troy back today?" Chad asks, hoping that could mean a short life to this misery both their friends were going through.

Taylor shakes her head. "I'm not quite sure but I think, whatever she has made her mind up to do, she is going to do it 100. She has that look of determination in her eyes and her body language, like this morning, that indicates to me that she's taking control of her destiny now."

----

Gabriella was standing at her locker, taking out her A.P. English books and her Latin 3 book for her morning classes as Hunter approaches and gives her a smile. "Good morning Ms. Montez."

She looks over at him and gives him a small smile. "Good morning Mr. Smith. Where were you on Friday?" she asks, having wondered where he was all day last week.

"Oh, well, I had an audition in LA," he mumbles, not looking her in the eyes.

Gabriella laughs a little at his shyness about his career. "Honestly Hunter, I never would have thought you'd be so modest about your career. It's something to be proud of, not ashamed of," she says, capturing his attention. "I mean, you are good at what you do and your job is just like any other jobs us non-famous teens have, you just have the worldwide recognition for it."

Hunter chuckles at this. "Gee, I'm just one of the teens then huh?"

"Maybe. So how did the audition go?" she asks, closing her locker and grabbing her bag.

They begin walking down the hall to A.P. English as Hunter fills her in on the details, that it was for a movie and that he would hear back later this week about callbacks if they liked him.

Troy passes the two on his way to his locker and meets Gabriella's eyes briefly before flickering over to Hunter who is looking at him with a question on his face. Instead of stopping, like he wanted to, Troy forces himself to continue walking down the hall, ignoring the pain in his chest. 'Guess she is already moving on with him,' he thinks, making it to his locker. 'Good for her.' Deep down though, Troy knew he would rather have her in his arms at that moment, sharing in their usual morning kisses, than in another wing with another guy.

When Gabriella and Hunter take their seats in their classroom, Hunter gets the courage to ask Gabriella what happened between her and Troy.

Gabriella sadly looks over at Hunter and replies, "Troy broke up with me last Thursday. In a way it's good you weren't here on Friday so you didn't have to see what a mess I was."

"He's crazy," Hunter replies, patting Gabriella on her shoulder. "Any guy would be crazy to give up such a wonderful young woman like you."

She gives him a small smile. "Thanks but I definitely don't feel that way right now."

"Don't worry, things will get better, I promise. Heartbreak is always a tough condition to battle through. I know, why don't you let me take you out tonight? I know it is a school night but what if we go to that Italian restaurant you were telling me about last week? We'll go early so we can get home and still do homework. I know how much you love staying on top of that!"

Gabriella takes a moment and remembers what she committed herself to do yesterday. "Sure Hunter, that sounds like a good idea. Pick me up at my house around 4:30?"

"Sounds like a plan," he responds. "Can you give me directions?"

She nods and hands him a piece of paper after a little while with the instructions from the school. Taylor enters the classroom and smiles at her best friend, who was giving Hunter a small smile. 'Hey, it's progress,' she thinks, taking her seat and giving her attention over to what the teacher was writing on the board.

----

As 4:20 rolls around, Gabriella finds herself sitting at her desk, writing in her journal about the day. From the start of the day where Hunter asked her to a dinner to seeing Troy avoid them at lunch and PE, and now the moments before Hunter was to pick her up. She finishes her entry and goes to the bathroom to reapply her lip gloss and straighten the flowery top she was wearing. Gabriella fingers the T necklace she is still wearing around her neck and reluctantly takes it off, allowing a tear to slip down her cheek before brushing it aside. She places the necklace in a heart shaped jewelry box on her dresser just before the doorbell rings.

Gabriella hurries down the stairs and opens the door, smiling as she takes in Hunter in a pair of slacks and a red button up shirt. "Hi," she greets, a little shyly.

Hunter chuckles at her sudden shyness. "Gabriella, it's me you are talking to. I know we have only known each other for a week but I think you know me well enough not to be Ms. Shy with me."

She giggles a little when she realizes how silly she was being. "All right, you have a point. Momentary slip. I saw Hunter Smith the superstar from Hollywood, not Hunter Smith the regular teenager who is becoming one of my good friends. Let me write my mom a note real quick and we'll go, okay?"

Hunter waits at the door until Gabriella returns, grabbing a sweater, and exiting the Montez household. He helps her into his convertible and drives to the restaurant with her directions guiding the way. When they reach the restaurant, Hunter jogs to the other side of the car to open the door for Gabriella which makes her smile. "Such the gentleman," she comments, taking his offered hand to get out. They enter the restaurant and are seated next to the window, overlooking the lake.

"This is a wonderful place Gabriella! If the food is as good as the ambiance, I know I am going to be a very happy guy after the meal," he says, looking over the menu.

The waitress comes around and stops as she realizes who is sitting in front of her. "Oh my! You're Hunter Smith!"

He shoots Gabriella a look before plastering on a smile at the waitress. "That's me. And who are you young lady?"

"I'm Heidi. Umm, also your waitress. What can I get you to drink?" the waitress responds, trying to get her bearings.

"Gabriella?" he asks of the girl sitting across the table from him. "Did you want a virgin strawberry drink or a coke?"

"A Shirley Temple sounds good actually. Thanks," Gabriella says to the waitress who writes it down.

"And I'll have a Palmer," Hunter says. "Actually, if you are ready Gabriella, we could give you the orders as well."

"Sure," she replies, reopening the menu and giving the waitress the order.

After the waitress leaves, Hunter turns his attention back to Gabriella. "Awkward huh?" he asks, referring to the encounter. "I never get used to it, never get used to being recognized as a 'star' than a normal teen guy out on a date."

Gabriella gulps as she hears the word date. "Date?"

"Well, we could call it an outing if you feel better about it."

"It just kind of feels a little too soon, you know what I mean?" Gabriella replies. "I'm sorry Hunter."

Hunter just shrugs his shoulders. "Don't be. I totally understand. Remember, this dinner is about cheering you up, nothing more. So, why don't you tell me more about this writing I've heard about. I hear I'm a character in one of them."

"Oh my God, who told you?" she asks, stunned that he calmly asked about her fan fiction about him. "You weren't supposed to know!" Gabriella covers her face with her hands to try to hide her face that is warming up quite a bit. She feels Hunter's hands gently grab hers and pull them away from her face.

"Gabriella, it's okay. I overheard some brunette girl talking about a fan fiction story she had found of yours and gloating about how she slipped the story to Troy which she thought he would hate since it was about me," Hunter supplies. "Of course this sounds like it happened before I even got to East High which is a huge coincidence in itself but I can imagine that one action of hers changed your relationship and life just a tad only to have me appear the next week."

Gabriella looks at Hunter and realizes how wonderful he really is. "You know so much more than you let on Hunter," she says. "You definitely have taken in more details about my life than you have let on."

"Nah, just powers of observation again," he replies. "Everything for you the past few weeks must have been way too surreal right?"

"Right," she says. "Like it was out of my story in some ways, in meeting you. Oh, Hunter, this is way embarrassing."

Hunter smiles at her and brushes some of her dark brown hair back behind her ear. "You don't have any reason to be embarrassed. I know what I said about meeting crazed fans and I meant what I said that I didn't think it was weird knowing that you knew about me. You have honestly treated me as a normal teenager who just moved schools, befriending me and sharing your friends with me. Just because you wrote a fictional story with a guy who shares my name with my image in mind isn't going demolish the friendship we have slowly developed in the past week."

She closes her eyes momentarily, her emotions and brain not able to process everything he just said along with everything else she has been dwelling in the past few days. "Too incredible to be true," she says, not realizing she spoke aloud.

"What's too incredible? The fact that I'm normal or that we're sitting her with this discussion or what?" he asks, intrigued by her comment.

"Everything," Gabriella replies, opening her eyes and looking at Hunter. "You being at East High, you knowing about my story but still wanting to be my friend. It just, I don't know, seems like a fan fiction."

Hunter nods, understanding. "Well I can promise you that the sincerity of my offer of friendship to you is genuine. You are different from most girls I meet Gabriella. You are clearly not interested in me just because of my status; you seem to actually care about me as a person which is an incredible feeling."

"That's what Troy said to me once," she recalls, getting a wistful look on her face.

"All right, that confirms it! He knew the treasure he had in his possession and still let you go. But it's all right because his loss is my gain, right?" he teases, causing her to smile.

"Thanks Hunter, for everything. I really appreciate it."

He smiles back at her even more and is about to say something important as Heidi brings their food to the table and refills their drinks. They continue on in easy conversation and share a berry tart for dessert.

When Hunter walks out with Gabriella, he places his hand on the lower part of her back out of instinct, making her smile. He helps her get back into his car and kisses her on the cheek before seeing a flash of light go off, more obvious because of the setting sun. Hunter curses under his breath and gets into the other side of the car and drives off, going a little bit faster than normal, scaring Gabriella.

"Hunter, why are you driving so fast?" she asks, realizing he was speeding quite a bit down the street.

"Paparazzi," is all he said, focusing on the road and checking the rear mirror every so often. After some time, Gabriella realizes that they are not driving to her neighborhood but another that is gated. As soon as they pass through the gates, she hears Hunter sigh and slow the car down. "Sorry," he murmurs, looking over at Gabriella for the first time. "They drive me crazy."

Gabriella nods her understanding. "I could see why. You hate them following you I'm sure."

"The term 'invasion of privacy' means nothing to them. In fact, I almost got into a brawl once because they found their way into our backyard in one of my old homes and tripped over my little sister's carriage she was in, causing her to fall out and onto the grass. I was so angry I almost got physical but my dad interfered and threw the guy out, calling the cops when he saw that the photographer was still trying to get pictures through the window," Hunter says. "My sister was fine, we had her checked at the hospital, but that was just, way too much for me to handle. That was a few years ago, when I started to get more well known and since then, I have been very careful around them."

"I don't blame you," Gabriella responds, truly surprised at the lengths some photographers go.

"I hate to say this but I have to warn you that pictures are going to show up on the internet from tonight," Hunter says, looking at Gabriella. "Truthfully, I won't be embarrassed to be seen with you but I want you to know so you can prepare for it. I'm sure, if East High is just like every other high school in the country, it will be everywhere and I want you prepared for what could be waiting for you."

"Don't worry about me," Gabriella says. "They're already gossiping about the breakup. I can handle this, at least I think." She gives him a small smile as he parks in front of his house. "So, how do I get home?"

"Why don't you come inside," he suggests, opening her door for her. "We can call your mom and have her come get you if that's okay. If I drive back out there with you, I can guarantee they'll chase us all the way to your house and I don't want to risk your life with a speed chase."

"Thank you for thinking of that," Gabriella murmurs, following Hunter into his home.

"Mom, Dad, Christine!" Hunter calls out, placing his keys on the table next to the door. "I'm home!"

Gabriella giggles as a young girl, who she assumed was Christine his sister, came running down the stairs and jumps into Hunter's waiting arms. "Hunter!" she screams, snuggling into his embrace as he picks her up.

"Hello Christine. I want you to meet someone, this is Gabriella," he introduces, smiling as Christine reaches a hand out to Gabriella who shakes it.

"Gabriella, you are pretty," she greets, causing Gabriella to smile even more at the little girl.

"Well thank you Christine. You are very pretty yourself."

Christine blushes then squirms to be put down. "For a six year old, she's still very blunt," Mrs. Smith says, making her presence in the room know. "Hello Gabriella, it is nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Gabriella replies, smiling at the older woman. "You have a beautiful home."

"Well thank you, I try. With this little one running around all the time and trying to unpack, it gets a bit crazy."

"Mom, we're going to call Gabriella's mom to come pick her up. The paparazzi are on my tail again, I guess with the album coming out next week, and I don't want to expose Gabriella to more than she has to be," he informs his mom. "Is it okay if she stays here for a bit?"

"Absolutely!" Mrs. Smith responds. "We're all on the same team when it comes to defending against those crazed photographers. Gabriella, why don't you have a seat in the living room?"

"Sure," Gabriella responds, following Hunter into the living room where Christine has plopped down to watch a cartoon. Once seated on the couch, Gabriella calls her mom and asks her to pick her up. Hunter takes the cell phone from her to give Mrs. Montez the directions and a guest pass code to get in as he programs it into the console in the wall for a one time entry.

"She said she'll be here in about an hour. Do you maybe want to work on the Calculus homework together?" he asks, knowing he still had that to be done tonight.

"Actually, I kind of already did it this weekend. Maybe the new homework from today's A.P. English?"

"Wow, so the rumors are true," Hunter replies, chuckling softly. "You are a smartie and well organized. I'm impressed. Sure, I'm up for tackling that homework. Let me get my books from my room so we can share that and an extra notebook and pen for you."

They were half way done with the homework assignment when Mrs. Montez came for Gabriella. "Thanks for everything Hunter, tonight was just what I needed," Gabriella says, hugging Hunter. "You are an amazing guy and I am lucky to call you my friend."

He smiles down at her and kisses her on the cheek. "I feel the same Gabriella. See you tomorrow!"

Gabriella gets into her mom's car who gives her a knowing look which Gabriella chooses to ignore. She waves goodbye to Hunter and sits back in her seat, thinking of everything that has happened in the span of a week. 'What is my life becoming?' she wonders, absently watching things pass by as her mom drove on. 'Could I really have feelings for Hunter while still being so heartbroken over Troy? Can that be possible?'


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

Troy slowly walks into East High's halls, trying to get his mind straight on the day ahead of him. He got a lecture from his dad yesterday for being a space case over everything that is happening which was hurting his school work and practice. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Troy knows his dad had a point. His situation currently was his own doing, he was the one that did the breaking up and letting Gabriella be free to see Hunter so he just had to deal with his hurt emotions and support her in her decision.

As he approaches his locker, Troy notices something taped up to its door and pulls it off to review it. There, on a plain white piece of paper is an image he wishes he could forget. In the top center is a picture of Hunter Smith kissing Gabriella on the cheek. The caption below reads "Hunter Smith getting cozy with a new girl in his new hometown after a date. Could this be young puppy love?"

Suddenly he starts hearing whispers in the hall, whispers that he hadn't heard coming in since was deep in thought but were there nonetheless. To make matters worse, he hears the last voice he wanted to ever hear murmuring in his ear, "I'm sorry Troy, I tried to warn you she was a slut. I can make your pain all better though."

Troy jerks away from Jasmine's lips that were next to his ear and glares at her. "Gabriella is anything but what you just called her Jasmine. Maybe you are just looking in the mirror when you say that because she's quite the opposite of you who may actually deserve that title," he angrily responds, turning his attention to getting into his locker to pull out his math book.

Before he could react, he feels himself spun around and pushed up against the lockers next to him as a pair of sickly sweet lips press down on his. Troy can hear giggling coming from Jasmine's friends as she kisses him a little longer before pulling away. "You may think that now Troy but I know, after that taste, you'll be coming back for me. Come on girls," she says, walking away and not looking back except one last time to wink at Troy.

"Please tell me that I'm having a nightmare and I'll wake up in my bed," Chad says, startling Troy. He looks over to see Chad standing right next to him, staring at him. "You may also want to wipe your lips. You've got Jasmine's lip gloss all over you."

Troy uses the back of his hand and drags it across his mouth, feeling the sticky substance come off mostly and reside on his hand. "Eww," Jason says, looking at the makeup on Troy's hand. "Jasmine' lip gloss and probably slobber."

"Guys, I need to find a way to end that girl's focus on me. Can one of you maybe step up and be her crush?" Troy asks, knowing that wouldn't happen as no guy would voluntarily ask for her attention.

He spots a familiar girl out of the corner of his eye, across the hall from him, watching with a sad expression on her face and a single tear falling down her face. "Gabriella, no," he murmurs, taking a step to approach her as she shakes her head and grabs Taylor's hand to drag her down the hall to their Calculus class.

Chad puts a comforting hand on Troy's shoulder. "Let her go Troy," he says, as soothingly as possible. "She'll be all right; she's got Taylor who will make sure she's fine in their next class. Speaking of, we better get going or we are going to be late ourselves."

Troy nods his head but suddenly gets so frustrated with his morning so far that he slams the door to his locker closed, startling Chad who is waiting for him a few feet away. "ARGH!" Troy screams, putting his hand on his locker and his forehead on his hand. "First the picture, then Jasmine, then Gabriella seeing the stupid kiss. What else is going to go wrong?"

"What picture Troy?" Chad asks, coming back to his friend and taking the crumpled up piece of paper out of Troy's left hand. He unfolds it and sees the same picture and caption that got Troy all worked up. "How'd you get this?"

"Taped to my locker," he murmurs, finally straightening up. "Anonymously of course. Probably the same person who slipped in Gabriella's story."

Chad doesn't know what to say. Something was at work here that he didn't know how to protect his friend from but he was sure going to try. "Come on Troy, we have to go to class."

The two friends walk down the hall to their math class, having to pass by the Calculus classroom. Chad waves at Taylor who smiles back but Troy ends up staring at Gabriella talking seriously to Hunter who pats her hand that is resting on her desk. Seeing Troy staring, Chad grabs Troy's arm and drags him to class just as the bell rings.

----

"So, you and Hunter huh?" Sharpay asks as she and Gabriella were taking a break from the scene they were working in Drama. "That's quite a quick rebound. Are you sure you are ready?"

"No!" Gabriella responds, a little too loudly. Troy and Ryan look over concerned at the two girls but Sharpay just smiles at them and gives them a dismissive hand. "Sorry. It's just that, I don't know, I guess I'm all turmoil at the moment and up is down and vice versa."

Sharpay smiles sadly at her friend. "You'll get through it Gabriella, like you somehow always do."

"The question is, will I get through it with my heart in one piece," Gabriella responds, more to herself than Sharpay as she gazes across the room at Troy who is laughing at something Ryan just said. Troy, sensing Gabriella's gaze, turns his attention her way and smiles a little at her, testing her response. To his relief, Gabriella gives him a smile in return before turning her attention back to Sharpay who just asked her a question. "I'm sorry Shar, what was that?"

"You know, for two people who are broken up, that was a really sweet exchange," Sharpay couldn't resist but say. "Anyway, I was asking if you talked to Darbus about missing that meeting or not so you can stay in the fall musicale."

"Oh, yeah, I did right before class. I sort of explained what happened, told her I was an emotional wreck but that I harvested the emotions for the next play we did. She accepted it and said that she still counted me in but informed me that Troy had dropped out. I guess he wants nothing to do with me, more than he has to," Gabriella says. "Besides, maybe it is for the best. I saw him kissing Jasmine this morning and it made me sick to my stomach. I think maybe the less we have to see each other and the personal lives, the better."

Sharpay stares at Gabriella, not realizing her mouth was wide open. "Wait, rewind! Troy was lip locked with Jasmine? What was he thinking? It hasn't even been that long since your accident caused by her. Your injury isn't even fully healed!" she exclaims, pointing at the stitches still in Gabriella's hand.

"Okay, you are so rubbing acid into the open wound right now Sharpay," Gabriella says, hoping to change the subject. "Let's get back to the scene, we have to have it ready to perform by the end of next week and this drama piece she gave us is a challenge. Want to read this all the way through this time?"

Reluctantly Sharpay allows Gabriella to direct the attention back to the piece but not before shooting Troy one of her death glares. Troy, having seen the two girls talking and then getting that look, figures Gabriella just told Sharpay about the Jasmine kiss and he lets out a sigh. "I swear, high school is just a bunch of drama," he murmurs, causing Ryan to pat his shoulder.

"That is the unfortunate truth. And in your case, I hate to say it but I think it's not going to get quiet any time soon," Ryan states. "First, you've got the drama of your split from Gabriella, second you have the fact that Jasmine still obviously wants you, and third, you are captain of the Wildcat basketball team that is reining champions. You are like celebrity status for East High, equal to Hunter within these walls. Everyone wants to know you and everyone wants to be your friend or your significant other."

"I don't know if that was comforting or more disturbing Ryan," Troy replies, looking back over at Gabriella who is doing a read through now of their scene.

"Eh, it is what it is. Want to get back to the scene? This comedy should help brighten your mood," Ryan says, handing over the scene book.

Troy accepts it and opens it to the particular scene they were doing, starting to read and already laughing at the first few lines.

----

Darbus looks around the theater and smiles and the collection of students in front of her who are her cast for the fall musicale. She had just passed out a list of the students' names and the name of the character they are playing. There are four large roles which were split between Sharpay, Ryan, Gabriella and Hunter with a few support roles. To be honest, Darbus was pretty impressed by the talent she saw from the four leads and Mr. Bolton this time around. 'If only their emotional problems hadn't gotten in the way, he would have been a great addition for this musicale,' she thinks to herself. When Troy had approached her on Friday about why he missed the meeting, she could not help but feel for the young man who truly looks like he lost his heart in the process. Darbus reassured him that if he wanted to, he would be welcome to audition for the winter musicale which he told her he would consider but couldn't promise.

"Ms. Darbus, am I going to still get my own dressing room?" Sharpay asks, earning an eye roll from her brother.

"Well Ms. Evans, I think that can be arranged. Ms. Montez, would you like your own room as well?" Ms. Darbus asks, knowing full well the answer she would get.

Gabriella shakes her head. "No thanks Ms. Darbus, that won't be necessary."

Hunter smiles at Gabriella and gives her a thumbs up showing his approval. "I don't think Ryan or I need one either Ms. Darbus," he volunteers, getting a confirmation nod from Ryan who is sitting next to him.

"Well then, it is settled. Sharpay shall have her normal pink star room and everyone else will be in the rooms together. Now, onto the more important details. Ms. Montez and Mr. Smith, please take the stage. I would like to start working on the chemistry song between your characters," Darbus instructs. "The rest of you, please partner up and start reading through your lines. We'll have specific days assigned soon that each of you will be responsible to go to soon. In fact, Mr. Evans and Ms. Evans, since you are the leaders of drama club, would you please work on that?"

The Evans siblings nod and get to work with the playbook in their hands and a calendar from Darbus' desk.

Kelsi pulls out the appropriate music sheets and nods that she is ready. Gabriella takes a deep breath once she gets onto the stage and turns her back to the audience, still preferring not to sing in front of a live audience. 'You would think I would get over this stage shyness by now,' she thinks to herself, smiling at Hunter who gets the idea and also turns around.

The music starts filling the air and Gabriella starts singing, closing her eyes and picturing the emotions. When Hunter's turn comes, there's silence. "Mr. Smith, that is when you start singing with her my dear. Did you lose your place?" Ms. Darbus asks.

"No Ms. Darbus, I just got a bit unfocused," he replies, grinning at Gabriella. "The voice of an angel is quite a distraction."

Gabriella is giggles and Kelsi smiles at the two as she sees the chemistry that is really there. 'How odd, I never would have expected this chemistry to be between the two already. It's different though from the overpowering feelings that are generated when Gabriella and Troy are together but this chemistry is still special in its own right,' she thinks, knowing she would have no problem with these two performing the love songs together.

"Enough already with the flattery! Please start from the top!" Darbus calls out, sitting down in the front row seat.

Gabriella and Hunter look at each other as the music starts again and Gabriella closes her eyes momentarily to find the emotions of the moment from her own history. A tear slides down her face as she remembers the good times she and Troy had, the sweet moments when they had just started to go out. Gabriella is jarred out of her memories as Hunter's voice reaches her ears, causing her to open her eyes and see him smiling down at her. She quickly wipes away the tear and stays focused on the moment with Hunter, finishing the song with the sound of hands clapping. They turn around and let out a laugh each as they see Darbus, Ryan, and even Sharpay clapping for the two. "Bravo! The emotions, the voice ranges, the professionalism, I love it!" Ms. Darbus exclaims. "All right, I think that's a good start for you two. Why don't you go and practice your lines together somewhere. Evans, both of you, your turn up!"

Hunter grabs Gabriella's hand and the two make their way off the stage, grabbing their books, and heading to a bench just outside the theater. "Remembering Troy during the song huh?" he asks, catching her by surprise.

"Can you stop reading my mind, seriously?" Gabriella asks, embarrassed he pegged the moment on the nose. "Sorry, I can't help it. I always think of him when I sing. Habit I guess."

"No worries," he replies. "I wouldn't expect less from a girl who was truly in love with her ex and just broke up with him. And just as a little secret, letting a tear go when you're singing a song about love is kind of a tip off you are deep in memories of your ex."

"All right, all right," Gabriella says, opening up the playbook. "Let's get working on these lines."

After another hour, one of their cast mates call out to them that Darbus had dismissed everyone until tomorrow afternoon. The two close their books and go back into the theater to grab their school bags and head out. Gabriella pauses to pull out her cell phone and Hunter stops beside her. "Oh, you don't have to wait for me," Gabriella says, scrolling through her phone. "I'm going to wait here for my mom."

"Are you sure?" Hunter asks, looking at her with concern.

Gabriella waves his concern away. "I'm sure. She was planning on it and I think we were going to go out to dinner to have some girl time. Thank you for the offer though Hunter, I appreciate it."

Hunter nods. "Okay, if you say so. How about I just take you home from now on though? Your house is on my way home and I'd hate for your mom to have to keep coming down here daily."

"Deal," Gabriella says with a smile. "Now scoot, before those photographers notice you."

"Paparazzi? Where?" he asks, looking around in a panic.

"Gotcha!" she exclaims, laughing as he visibly relaxes.

Hunter smiles, slinging his backpack onto his shoulders. "That, Gabriella, was pure evil. And on that note, I am getting out of here before that really happens. See you tomorrow."

Gabriella watches as Hunter takes off and calls her mom to pick her up. She heads over to a bench near the gym to sit and wait since her mother was running a little late at work. Sounds from the guys practicing inside reach her ears and curiosity wins out so she sticks her head in, smiling as she sees a familiar scene.

Troy and Chad are playing a two on two game against Zeke and Jason who look like they are getting run over by the other two as Chad shoots a 3 pointer. Troy gives him a high five as Zeke grabs the ball and passes it to Jason, which immediately gets stolen by Troy who dunks it in. Gabriella lets out a laugh as she sees Jason and Zeke pull faces at each other as Jason goes out to pass to Zeke this time.

Gabriella ducks back out of the gym and sits down on the bench, opening up her notebook to write a few lyrics down. She pauses as a few thoughts cross her mind. 'Troy looks so happy and so in his element out there. Maybe he is meant to be single, or at least dating someone else, so he can better focus on his game and that scholarship he is after from the colleges this year. I only wish he really wasn't lip locking with Jasmine of all girls at East High. Oh well, not my place anymore, right?'

She watches with a sad smile as she sees the boys exit the gym together from their self imposed practice and go to their cars in the parking lot. Gabriella's heart skips a beat as she sees Troy grin foolishly at Chad before getting into the car together. 'Silly Gabriella, still head over heels in love with Troy Bolton when he broke up with you last week. Maybe this feeling will never go away,' she thinks, grateful that her mom chose that instant to show up. Gabriella grabs her bag and jumps into the car, never being happier to have a girls' night out with her mom so they could talk.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

On Monday morning, Gabriella arrives at the attendance office of East High with a note from her doctor explaining her tardiness. She has just gotten back from the hospital where her stitches were removed from her left hand, leaving only a slight scar which the doctor said should fade with time. Her mom dropped her off in the front a few minutes ago with a smile before heading off to work.

The secretary in the attendance office issues Gabriella a slip to excuse her from the morning as she hurries to her locker to pull out her Physics book and enters class a few minutes late. She hands the teacher her note and takes her seat, pulling out her notebook right away and scribbling down the notes she had already missed.

After class, Hunter walks with Gabriella over to their lockers and is glad to see she looks genuinely happy. Gabriella is using her left hand more freely, the pain having mostly gone away by the end of last week, and she seems to have lost a lot of her emotional turmoil, at least on the surface. His cell phone vibrates and he pulls it out, seeing it is his manager. "Hello?" he answers, putting his books away and taking out his lunch from the locker before closing it.

"Hunter, we have to talk. We have a major emergency on our hands!" Johnny, his manager, exclaims. "Amy has come down with a serious case of laryngitis this morning and is not going to be able to sing with you tonight at the launch party!"

A huge sense of dread washes over Hunter as he leans against the lockers and runs his left hand over his face. "That's awful. Is she going to be okay?"

"Hunter, she'll be fine and get over the illness. I am more worried about your career! What are we going to do? We need someone to sing her part for the duet since it is going to be the second release from your album tomorrow, accompanying the release of your CD!" Johnny replies. "Do you know anyone who could pull this off tonight?"

Hunter eyes Gabriella who is humming to herself as she is organizing her locker. "I think I do. Can you arrange for the crew on the chartered flight taking me to Hollywood this afternoon after school to expect a few more people? I have someone in mind but I don't want her going by herself."

"Sure, who is this girl?" Johnny asks intrigued.

"Just someone I know here at East High. Don't worry, she'll be great. See you tonight Johnny!" Hunter says, hanging up. He approaches Gabriella who looks over at him as she closes her locker. "Gabriella, I have a favor to ask of you…"

----

"I can't believe we are on a chartered plane going to Hunter Smith's launch party!" Taylor squeals. "This is so amazing, thank you Gabriella for taking me with you!"

Taylor leans over the aisle and hugs Gabriella who happily returns it. "I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather come with!"

"Here you go ladies," a flight attendant says, handing each of them a Shirley Temple. "Mr. Smith, can I get you anything else?"

Hunter shakes his head as he continues to tap his fingers on the armrest of his seat, nervously thinking about tonight. To his relief, Gabriella had agreed, although very reluctantly. Her nervousness of being in front of crowds almost held her back from saying yes but Hunter was able to convince her that she should do it. Of course, it helped when he laid it on kind of think as to how much she would be helping him. He had learned in the past few weeks how good of a heart Gabriella has and kind of used that to his advantage which he didn't feel guilty about since he knew she would enjoy it once it was over.

To help her out, Hunter told Gabriella she could invite a friend but that he would need to know their dress sizes, assuming the friend was a girl, so he could have his manager find dresses for them both when they landed for them to wear for the night. Gabriella quickly asked Taylor at lunch to come with her but didn't reveal that she would be singing with Hunter tonight. She didn't need the extra pressure of someone else knowing quite yet.

Both girls took the chance at lunch to call their parents and ensure it would be okay. There were no objections, especially from Mrs. Montez who was told about Gabriella singing. She was so excited for this chance for her daughter she would never dream of interfering. Each girl drove home after school to grab an overnight bag. Mrs. Montez had come home early from work to make sure she saw her daughter off and to give her a huge hug. "Make the best of it Gabriella and good luck!" she said, hugging her daughter tightly before watching Gabriella and Taylor drive away from the Montez household.

Taylor and Gabriella also had to be excused from school on the following day as they would not be able to make it back to Albuquerque until the following night so they had also gone to the teachers of the classes they would be missing before they went home to get homework and assignments to make the time up. Hunter was already checked out for the rest of the week as he had radio and TV spots to do to play up his new CD so he was all set and was waiting for the girls at the airport.

As the plane drops suddenly and tilts downward indicating their decent, Gabriella gets the overwhelming feeling of nervousness as she realizes that this was all real, that she would be singing the duet off of Hunter's album with him, in front of hundreds of people at the party. He had given her a set of music sheets with the notes and lyrics but she had sheepishly told him that she already knew the song.

_"How?" Hunter asks, curious as to how Gabriella had the song in her head already since the song and album both were not released yet._

_"Umm, well, the internet?" she answers, blushing._

_Hunter couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment. "Once again, you manage to amaze me Gabriella Montez. I'm glad you know it already though. It will make it easier to sing tonight."_

When they land at the airport, Johnny is waiting for them in front of a SUV with tinted windows. Hunter and Johnny exchange a quick hug before Hunter introduces Gabriella and Taylor to his manager.

"Nice to meet you ladies," Johnny greets. "We have you sharing a suite together for the night, I hope that is okay."

"Absolutely," Gabriella responds immediately.

"Perfect," Johnny returns. "Your dresses should also be there and I have a stylist scheduled to come to your room in 1 hour to do your hair and makeup for the evening. Hunter, which of these ladies will be performing with you tonight?"

Hunter wraps his arm around Gabriella's waist and brings her closer to him. "Gabriella Montez will be joining me. We rehearsed some at lunch and I think it sounds good. She knows the song already. I guess those leaked lyrics and song clips actually paid off for once," Hunter explains, surprising Taylor who was hearing this for the first time. She shoots Gabriella a look which Gabriella responds to by mouthing "later" to her.

"All right. I would like to hear you sing though before we leave tonight for the party. You are expected to arrive at 8:30, which gives you about 3 hours to get ready and rehears some more. Everyone is already hyped about your album Hunter, we just need this extra push to guarantee success."

Hunter nods his head to show his understanding and ushers the two girls into the SUV before him as they drive to the hotel. There is a hoard of screaming fans already outside the hotel, causing Gabriella and Taylor to grin.

"We're on this side of the rope, how weird is that?" Taylor whispers to Gabriella who agrees. "Seriously, how does he do this every day?"

"Very carefully and strategically," Hunter responds with a smile. "Ready for the madness?"

The two nod and the door is opened by Johnny who lets Hunter out first and has the two girls wait a few minutes before having them exit. The screaming gets quieter as Gabriella and Taylor exit the SUV, murmurs starting from the fans as to who the mystery girls with Hunter Smith were. They give the crowd a quick wave and quickly walk into the hotel's lobby, unsure of what else to do.

Johnny is waiting for them and hands them their room key. "Gabriella, can you please meet me in Hunter's room as soon as you are dressed and ready? I would like to see you sing the duet before we go."

"No problem," Gabriella returns, grabbing her bag from the bodyguard who had taken their bags out of the SUV for them and going up to the suite with Taylor. Once they were on the top floor, they get off and look for the suite. They find it and Taylor swipes her key, pushing open the door and letting out a shriek of excitement as she sees the room.

Gabriella follows Taylor in, allowing the door to slam behind her, as she takes in the elegance of the living room and the wonderful bedrooms, one for each of them. The two girls look at each other and let out another scream of excitement before trying to calm down. "No one is going to believe this back at East High! I need to take pictures," Taylor says, putting down her bag and pulling out her digital camera. She runs around the suite taking pictures of everything as Gabriella puts her stuff down in her room, sitting on her king sized bed and making mental notes of everything she is feeling at the moment – excitement, happiness, shock, and nervousness.

She puts her room key down and realizes that there is another key with a number on it. 'That must be to Hunter's suite for rehearsal,' she thinks, making sure to put both in her purse.

"Gabriella, when were you going to tell me about the duet?" Taylor asks, interrupting Gabriella's thoughts. "When you sang together tonight?"

Gabriella turns to face her best friend. "No, I was going to tell you before the party but I didn't want to tell you before we were here because I was already nervous and I guess telling you makes it even more real which increases my nerves. See, my hand his shaking," she explains, picking up her left hand from her lap and showing Taylor the trembles.

"Oh, Gabriella, you have nothing to worry about," Taylor comforts, sitting down next to her best friend and giving her a hug. "You have the winter musicale and the decathlons behind you, events which were done in front of a crowd and you were wonderful in both!"

"But this is in front of hundreds of people I don't know, with the exception of you, and people who I've seen on the television or heard on the radio. Not exactly the same crowd here," she exclaims, slowly starting to panic.

Taylor looks at her friend who is becoming more and more flushed thinking about tonight's performance. "All right, you know what you are going to do? You are going to focus just on Hunter on the stage and me in the audience. Forget about everyone else. Gabriella, no matter what happens, as long as you give it your best shot, you are going to do what you came here to do. Let your instincts and nature come through and act on their own accord. You'll be a success, I know it!"

Gabriella gives her friend a grateful smile and hugs her, just as there is a knock on the door. Taylor runs out to grab it and yells, "Gabriella, you better get out here!"

Gabriella runs into the living room and stops as she sees two stylists with makeup kits and hair supplies in their hands, another person wheeling in a rack of dresses, and a hotel employee carrying in a dozen white roses. Taylor runs over to the roses and snatches the card from the bouquet as it is set down on a table and reads, "To one of the most amazing and most talented women in the world. You'll be great tonight! Hunter." She lets out another scream as Gabriella feels a huge grin spread across her face.

"I hate to interrupt this moment ladies but we really need to get to work in order to have you ready on time. Ms. Montez, will you pick out your dress so I can work with you on your hair and makeup?" a stylist asks, directing Gabriella's attention to the dresses. She goes over and examines each, surprised at the variations in styles and colors both. Finally she settles on a silky black dress with an empire waist that ends just a little above her knees that also flares out. The top half of the dress conservatively covers everything but does not have any sleeves. Gabriella takes the dress off the rack and hands it over to the waiting stylist who smiles at her choice.

The next thirty minutes Gabriella sits in the chair, patiently waiting to see what miracles the stylist will perform as the stylist wanted to surprise her and had her face away from the mirror. Once done, the stylist sends Gabriella to change into her dress and heels, helping her get the dress over her head but still blocking her view of herself. Gabriella grabs her purse and goes out to the living room where Taylor is still getting made up. She looks over at her best friend and hears her gasp with a big smile on her face.

"I take it that I look good then?" she asks.

Taylor smiles even bigger. "Try absolutely wonderful and sexy!" Taylor squeals, bouncing in her seat to her stylist's chagrin. "I guess you better go to Hunter's suite to practice before we leave right?"

"Oh, right! Wait, I want to see what I look like!" Gabriella exclaims, running back into her room and looking at herself in the floor length mirror. "Wow, you did wonders!" she says, turning her attention to the watching stylist.

"I just did your hair up, leaving a few of your strands loose to curl and light make up. The beauty you see is all you Ms. Montez," the stylist responds with a smile.

Gabriella hugs the stylist tightly before leaving the room and finding Hunter's suite where there is a pair of bodyguards posted who let her in. "Hunter?" she calls out, entering and looking around. "Johnny?"

"Gabriella, you look wonderful," Johnny says, coming out of a room. "I like that upsweep of a hairdo. Makes you look very elegant."

"Thank you," she replies, blushing slightly.

Hunter enters the room from his bedroom and grins. "I would have to disagree with you Johnny. I think she looks absolutely amazing and the word beautiful also comes to mind." He approaches Gabriella and gives her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You really do look lovely tonight Gabriella."

She can't help but full on blush at this, making Hunter laugh. "Thanks Hunter, for everything," she says.

"Ah, but the night is not over. We still have the party!" he returns.

Johnny puts in a CD with the instrumental version of the song they are going to perform and begins to hand Gabriella the lyrics but she shakes her head. "Don't worry, I have it down," she informs him shyly. He nods his head and takes a seat on a barstool to watch the two. The song starts and Gabriella and Hunter get lost in the song. By the time they are done, Johnny is on his feet.

"Hunter, she is amazing! Gabriella, what formal training have you had?" Johnny asks, simply blown away by this girl from East High Hunter brought with him.

Gabriella shrugs her shoulders in response. "None really. Just a few performance and of course my shower," she says with a giggle.

"You may want to think about getting an agent my dear. That's a wonderful voice you have. And the two of you really do sound great together. Hunter how did you know?" he asks.

Hunter grins, looking at Gabriella. "How did I know she had a voice of an angel? Because we are doing the fall musicale together that I told you about together. We were friends before but as soon as she started singing, I fell into her trance."

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "There you go again, Mr. Sweet Talker," she comments.

"No, I mean it 110. Tonight is going to be fabulous and I owe a lot of it to you," Hunter replies, giving her another kiss on her cheek. Johnny sees this and eyes the two together. 'I wonder if they have any idea of the media frenzy they are going to cause tonight…' he wonders to himself.

"Well, I can see we don't need to spend any more time here. Gabriella, is your friend ready? If so, I would like to get you three into the car. Hunter, did you plan on walking in by yourself?" Johnny asks, having a feeling what the answer would be.

Hunter looks over at Gabriella and addresses her. "Gabriella, what do you think? Should I look like a loner going into my own party or would you do me the honor of escorting me?"

"ME?" she returns, shocked. "Don't you want some drop dead gorgeous Hollywood starlet or star on your arm?"

"Are you kidding? It sounds like you want me to ask Jasmine or something," Hunter jokes, earning a playful slap on the arm from her. "Kidding, just kidding! So, seriously, do you think you want to do it?"

"I'd love to," she responds, looking into his eyes.

"Great, so it is all settled. Let's get your friend Gabriella and get going." Johnny directs. They go down the hall, with the three bodyguards in tow, and pick up Taylor who is ready and waiting. She is dressed in a green velvet dress that is knee length with a halter top. Her black hair is down but is curled with two green barrettes pulling some of her hair away from her face.

"You look stunning Taylor!" Gabriella exclaims, smiling at her friend who looks a little unsure of herself. "If Chad was here, he would so be dying, promise." This brings a smile to Taylor's face as she becomes more confident about her look.

The two girls follow Johnny with Hunter behind them. They make it out to the SUV without problems, probably because they used a side entrance this time, and set off for the launch party. When they arrive, both girls are overwhelmed by the many photographers and fans that are waiting for Hunter Smith to arrive, all along the street and outside the club they were going to. Hunter looks over and chuckles at the wide eyed girls who are looking around in amazement. "Welcome to my world ladies," he says, genuinely glad he had their company tonight. "Far cry from East High, right?"

Both Gabriella and Taylor nod in agreement as the driver rolls the car to a dead stop. "Are you really going to go out with him?" Taylor asks of Gabriella before Johnny opens the door.

Gabriella nods with a grin, excitement and nervousness feeling her senses once again. "He asked me to and I'm absolutely flattered by it. Johnny said you would be walking on your own after us. Are you going to be okay?" Gabriella asks, concerned for her friend.

"Duh, I'll be fine. No one is going to hassle a no-name like me. You go out there and enjoy yourself Ms. Montez."

Gabriella hugs Taylor quickly before she is told that it was time for their entrance. Johnny opens the door as Hunter gets out in his black suit and red shirt, which Gabriella thought he looked rather hot in but would never admit to him. Hunter turns around and offers his hand to her to help her out. She is almost blinded by the amount of flashes that goes off in her face as every photographer and fan wants a view of the lucky woman who gets to accompany this super star. Once down from the SUV, Hunter draws her left hand into the crook of his arm and begins walking down with Gabriella on his arm. They stop a few times here and there to pose for pictures, evading questions about who she was to him, and finally making it inside the club.

They wait a few minutes at the door for Taylor who arrives flustered. "Oh my God, it is so different being the one walking down, even for a no-name there is a whole lot of attention!"

"It's because you are so pretty," Gabriella returns, smiling at her best friend. "Now, let's go enjoy ourselves!"

Taylor and Gabriella link arms and wave at Hunter as he turns to Johnny to discuss the timeline for the night and who he needed to meet with while there. The two best friends on the other hand were free to wander around the party, trying different appetizers and drinking sodas. They were offered champagne and a few other mixed drinks but both declined, not wanting to taint this special night with something like that.

Before much longer, Johnny jumps up on the stage set up and introduces the man of the night, Hunter Smith, to the crowd which cheers for him as he takes the stage. Hunter has a huge grin on his face and gives a short little speech, thanking everyone from coming out. He starts in on his single that was released a few weeks ago and both girls watch mesmerized by his performance. Hunter Smith, the East High student and friend was gone, replaced by Hunter Smith, the movie and singing star.

Gabriella feels a hand on her back and she looks over to see Johnny smiling at her. "A fan too huh? That's good," he says. "Listen, you are going to be up next. Are you ready?"

"Now?" Gabriella squeaks out, looking around at all the people, both famous and not who are watching Hunter sing.

"Now or never," Johnny replies. "Don't worry, if you sing like the way you did for me earlier you'll do fantastic. Remember, nerves are just a feeling that you can conquer, you just need to put your mind to it and focus on Hunter. He'll catch you if you fall; he's a good performer like that."

Gabriella nods her head as she squeezes Taylor's hand to let her know she was leaving and it was her time. Taylor flashes her a grin and pulls out her digital camera, mouthing good luck to the departing Gabriella. By the time she reaches the side of the stage, Gabriella's stomach is overfilled with nerves which she tries to settle but is not too successful in. She reaches into her purse and fingers the familiar necklace that she used to wear, smiling a little as she gains comfort just feeling it with her finger tips. Gabriella snaps her purse closed just as Hunter wraps up his first song and steps back to the microphone to introduce the next song.

After adjusting the microphone next to him to what he thinks is Gabriella's height, Hunter steps back to his own microphone and smiles at the cheering crowd. "Thank you everyone for your support of this new album of mine and the first single. Along with the launch of the album tomorrow, my second single will also be released. Now the talent on the single recorded is not the same as the one you are about to hear but you won't be disappointed by the one tonight. May I now introduce, Ms. Gabriella Montez!" he announces, holding his hand out to her for her to take as she walks onto the stage, fighting her nerves each step of the way. "Gabriella has agreed to accompany me on this duet which I hope you all enjoy."

Hunter lets go of Gabriella's hand as she steps up to the microphone stand and takes in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she listens to the music start and Hunter begin his verse.

**_"Whenever you're around, my heart skips a beat, there's nothing else like that feeling. They say it won't last, that we're too young, but baby you've got me singing."_**

Gabriella, realizing it was her turn, opens her eyes and looks down at Taylor, then at Hunter beside her before joining in.

**_"Every time you come around, my soul soars, leaving me with this tingling sensation I can't shake. They tell me I'm crazy, that you're no good for me, but darling I know you're the one for me."_**

Hunter smiles at her as she completes her solo verse before joining her in the chorus and continuing the song. Neither of them takes their eyes off each other, focusing on one another to get them through the rest of the song. As the song comes to a close, Gabriella holds the last note as Hunter gets closer to her and leans down to kiss her cheek. Not realizing, Gabriella turns her head to look at him again, and is surprised to find Hunter's lips softly kissing her own. Lights flash from cameras as they pull away, each looking at each other with questions in their eyes. Realizing everyone was staring, Hunter is the first to break out of the moment and smile at the crowd.

"Give it up for Gabriella! Wasn't she amazing everyone? Well, that's all for tonight for live performances. Thank you again for everyone coming out and I look forward to meeting you all in a few moments," Hunter announces on his microphone before putting his hand in the small of her back and walking her off the stage.

Taylor is there and screams as she engulfs Gabriella in a huge hug. "That was amazing Gabriella! You did fantastic for someone who was so nervous, told you that you were going to be just fine! Oh and that kiss!" Taylor says, that last part in a quieter tone just for Gabriella.

Gabriella returns the hug and smiles but darts her eyes over to Hunter who is also looking down at her. "Let's go outside Gabriella," he suggests, taking her right hand in his left. She turns her head to Taylor to silently ask if it was okay for her to leave her again and Taylor nods, mouthing "go" to her best friend.

Hunter and Gabriella go out on the patio which is not too crowded as the party is mainly inside and the wind was blowing a bit of cold air. They find a secluded spot and sit down together on a cushioned bench. Hunter keeps her hand in his, looking down at them intertwined, wondering how he was going to talk to Gabriella about all that just happened.

"Listen Hunter," Gabriella starts, only to find Hunter placing a finger on her lips to stop her from going forward.

"Gabriella, I have something to tell you first," he says, a range of emotions in his eyes.

Taylor watches from inside, seeing only a little bit of their faces from where they were on the patio. 'I wonder what they are saying to each other. That was a really well done duet but to top it off with that kiss, wow,' she thinks. Her phone rings and she picks it up and smiles as she sees who it is.

"Hi Chad," she answers. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Just got back from Zeke's house with Troy and Jason. Zeke, I hate to say it, is becoming an even better chef and baker. Who would have ever thought that a guy like him with so much game on the courts would do so well in the kitchen."

Taylor laughs as she knows her boyfriend is still struggling with that revelation. "Oh yeah? Well that's good you guys were hanging out tonight."

"So where are you?" Chad asks, wondering about the loud music. "Is the party at some club or something?"

"You would not believe it! This whole day since we got on the chartered flight has been amazing, wait that isn't even a good enough word for this. Let's just say, I have pictures that will still not do this experience justice. Gabriella and Hunter just got done singing together and…"

Chad interrupts her. "Wait, Gabriella, our sweet and quiet little Gabriella, got up and sang with Hunter Smith tonight?"

Taylor hears another male voice in the background which she eventually figures out is Troy. "Tell Troy hello for me," she says, not clearly understanding what he is saying in the background.

Troy's voice gets on the phone. "Was she wonderful?" he asks, hope in his voice.

Taylor smiles, knowing how much Troy still cared for her best friend. "Yes, more than wonderful actually," she replies, leaving out the kiss as to not hurt him. "You would be proud of her."

The phone gets transferred back to Chad. "Sorry babe, he wanted to ask. Little love puppy here and all…oww!"

She laughs as she imagines Troy probably punch Chad in the arm. "I knew there was a reason I liked Troy. He keeps you in check for me!"

"Well, I better let you go so you can enjoy the party. Tell Gabriella that Troy and I are both happy for her," Chad says as Taylor looks back out the window to see Gabriella's head leaning on Hunter's shoulder.

"Sure. Good night Chad," Taylor returns, unable to take her eyes off her best friend and her new guy in her life. 'I just hope both Gabriella and Troy don't get hurt worse at the end of this,' she thinks, wondering what tomorrow would bring.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

It was Wednesday late morning and Gabriella was sitting in Physics class, concentrating on her notes as she happens to glance outside and see Troy in the field with a tall red headed girl she recognized from the cheerleading squad. 'I wonder what that's about,' she thinks, forcing the sight out of her mind and turning her head back to focus on the teacher who is going over what their first major test would be about.

----

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about Marlene?" Troy asks, curious as to why she wanted to talk to him, away from his friend and away from the rest of the cheerleaders.

Marlene stares at the ground for a moment more and looks up at Troy. "I wanted to actually apologize for my part in Jasmine's psychotic tactics lately to get your attention. She's really crossing the line and I can't stand by and not say anything anymore. I know she's my captain but I think her obsession with you is a little too much," she says with a straight face.

"I completely agree but why are you talking to me about this now?" Troy questions, suspicions running around in his head.

"Because, to tell you the truth, I think you are a great guy Troy and that you don't deserve to be on the bad end of all these schemes. I wanted to say something right away when Gabriella got hurt but I was too weak then. Now, well I'm still under Jasmine's rule but I had to say something for my own conscious," she explains. "Maybe one day, if you can ever forgive my part in this, we could be friends."

'I may be foolish for this but I think she's telling the truth,' he thinks to himself. Troy turns his face back to Marlene so he is looking into her green eyes. "Thank you for what you have said. I think we could be friends, definitely. It takes a big person to do what you just did."

Marlene smiles back at him and nods her head. "Well, I better go. Take it easy Troy."

He watches as she walks off and spots Gabriella just turning her head away from the window of her class. Troy gazes up at her profile for a few more moments and shakes his head. 'What did you do Troy by letting her go?' he wonders, walking back to the lunch table where Sharpay, Jason and Martha are waiting for him.

"SO? What did that cheerleader want?" Sharpay demands, as soon as Troy sits down.

"She wanted to apologize," Troy responds. "Said she was sorry for her part of the schemes and that she wanted to be friends."

Jason chuckles. "What an act! Dude, please tell me you didn't fall for that."

Troy takes his time and admits, "I kind of do. I mean, we all know how Jasmine rules her crew. They are either with her or not and if you want to be on the squad, you better be with her."

"Troy has a point," Martha agrees. "Besides, if they are scheming anything, it'll all come out, soon enough."

"I just don't trust her," Sharpay says, very suspicious as to why Marlene would choose now, the day after a few pictures from the Hunter's launch party came out with Gabriella on his arm, to approach Troy.

----

At the next lunch period, Gabriella, Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, Ryan, and Zeke decide to sit outside the enjoy the day and sit out on the lawn, enjoying the sunlight. Gabriella had gotten up to get a soda when the questions about the launch party came out.

"So, Taylor, aren't you going to share with the rest of us how the launch party was?" Zeke asks, surprised he had to be the first one to ask. "We've been dying since yesterday morning to find out what happened!"

Taylor smiles. "I know a picture circulated yesterday, Gabriella and I saw a copy of it taped to her locker. Isn't that enough?"

"Umm, no!" Ryan jumps in. "So are Gabriella and Hunter really an item now?"

Taylor shrugs in response. "I honestly don't know. Judge for yourself, or you can ask her since she is coming back right now."

"Okay, why are you all staring at me?" Gabriella asks, taking a seat again next to Taylor.

"Are the rumors true? Are you and Hunter together?" Zeke asks, honestly curious if there is any truth to the rumors around school.

Gabriella smiles a little and opens her mouth to respond when she spots a few people with cameras and one with a microphone advancing quickly on the group.

"Gabriella! Gabriella! The word around Hollywood is that you are Hunter's main girl! Can you confirm that?" yells a reporter who is running at them.

Unsure of what to do, Gabriella just stares at the cameras, as if they were foreign objects, which in truth they are on the campus of East High. She feels a strong hand grab her around the upper arm and drag her up. "Come on, let's make a run for it," Chad whispers in her ear as she quickly grabs her bag and runs into the building with him, up the stairs and into the secret spot she and Troy used to share. Chad locks the door at the bottom and shortly joins Gabriella. "That was wild," he comments, taking a seat on the bench and watching his friend as she looks at some flowers.

"Thanks for the help Chad," Gabriella finally says, breaking the silence and looking over at him. "You thought quick on your feet and I appreciate that. If it was me, I would have probably still stayed down there like a clueless one."

"Hey, it's the least I could do. Taking Taylor with you the other day was really sweet. I know it made her day. So it looks like you and Hunter are really happy together," Chad adds, wanting to find out the truth.

Gabriella turns back to the flowers and smiles sadly. "It looks like Troy is too, with basketball and with his new girl."

Not expecting that response, Chad just sits there for a few moments. "I would say yes, Troy is happier than a week ago. He's giving it all to basketball again, and his game is truthfully getting even better. As to a new girl, I don't know of any unless you count that forced kiss from Jasmine the other week."

"Forced kiss?" she asks, turning her attention back to Chad.

"Yeah, seriously, she came out of nowhere and like attacked him, living him to wipe her sticky lip gloss and spit off him. It was actually pretty gross," Chad explains, earning a laugh from Gabriella.

"If that's the truth, I'm sure he was really happy with that high school moment," Gabriella says, a part of her happy that it wasn't the serious kiss she thought Troy had finally succumbed to.

"You know, he honestly just wants the best for you and for you to be happy," Chad ventures, sensing she was thinking about Troy. "If you're happy with Hunter, he'll eventually be happy for you too."

Gabriella looks at Chad a little sadly before saying, "You know, things are not always what they seem Chad. Besides, Troy is the one that basically shooed me off. If I had my choice, I wouldn't have walked away from us again, not after all that thinking I did this summer during that break."

Chad studies Gabriella and is about to say something when the bell rings. He groans and runs down the stairs, peeking through the windows to see if he could see any reporters. "I think they are gone, do you want to venture to your next class?" he asks, coming back up the stairs.

She nods. "I can't afford to miss anymore classes. We already missed all yesterday."

"Umm, Gabriella, that was just ONE day. Not the end of your scholastic career."

"It is to me!" she replies. "Especially because I missed part of Monday too cause of the stitches being removed."

Chad chuckles and grabs his bag as the two of them walk back down the stairs and into the hall, mingling immediately with the other East High students. "Thanks Chad," Gabriella gets out before vanishing down the hall to Drama.

As she walks in, she spots Troy down the hall talking to the red headed girl again and smiling. 'Something tells me that he's moving on,' she thinks, wondering on the truth of that thought. 'What irony, the basketball captain is finally going to be dating a cheerleader.'

Gabriella sits down at her seat and makes sure not to look up as she senses Troy pass by. Ryan comes in and greets them both, taking his seat. "Gabriella, you okay?" he asks her after pulling out his notebook.

She looks at Ryan curiously. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Umm, I don't know. I just didn't think running away from paparazzi was a normal activity for you at lunch," Ryan supplies, reminding Gabriella that he had witnessed the scene.

"Oh, sorry," Gabriella responds sheepishly. "My mind was thinking of something else. I'm fine, really. Chad kept me running until we reached a safe place. Can I say that he runs fast?"

Ryan laughs and shakes his head. "Unfortunately, I have a feeling that's going to be commonplace for you now."

"What do you mean? I'm not going to take up running with Chad if that's what you think."

"No, I mean having paparazzi in your life. You're dating Hunter Smith now, nothing is going to be the same ever again," he says, inadvertently having a double meaning for Gabriella as she looks over at Troy who returns her gaze.

"I guess you're right Ryan, in more ways than one," she answers, returning her attention back to the notebook on her desk and waiting for Ms. Darbus to start class.

Soon they are paired up in their scenes, Gabriella and Sharpay sitting in one corner, mapping out the scene and where they would end up at the end of each line. Sharpay for one is curious how this would perform on Friday as Gabriella was getting increasingly emotional as they continue to practice the scene about two sisters talking about lost loves while Sharpay's character is getting ready to get married the next day.

"So when I bring up the true love that broke my character's heart, I'll end up here upstage with a picture from the dresser to talk to, right?" Gabriella confirms, walking around on the imaginary stage.

Sharpay nods her head, knowing this was going to be a real great performance for Drama since Gabriella was most likely to draw on all the emotions she has going on in her life at the moment. In fact, if she was a betting type of girl, Sharpay is willing to bet that Gabriella is going to shed true tears at their final performance this week.

Meanwhile, Troy and Ryan are laughing together in the hallway where they are rehearsing their comedy sketch. They take a break as they both lean against the wall, still chuckling. "Man, are we going to have a hard time delivering these lines with a straight face or what?" Troy asks. "I don't think we've gone through a single run through without one of us or both of us bursting out in laughter."

"Well, if you wouldn't make those funny faces I wouldn't be laughing," Ryan responds, still smiling from the last mess up Troy made. "Look, I think we can pull it off. Why don't we try an exercise?"

"An exercise?" Troy questions.

Ryan nods his head. "I'm going to make a silly face at you and your JOB is to NOT laugh. Got it?"

"Sure, but what is that supposed to accomplish?"

Ryan stops short of rolling his eyes. "If you and I can make funny faces at each other and not crack, it'll help us regain control of the scene so we can do those funny lines without laughing anymore. I expect this is going to take a few rounds though."

"Hey, if it'll help, I'm game," Troy answers, turning so he and Ryan were facing each other.

The two take turns making faces for a while, both not being able to keep their cool under pressure for the first few times but somewhere in the middle, they started being able to keep their face serious with a little laughter. At the end of the period, Ryan and Troy were able to completely ignore the other so that neither was laughing at the funny faces, much to the satisfaction of them both.

Ryan and Troy return to the classroom to grab their stuff before each went their own way, Troy to basketball practice and Ryan to the theater for rehearsal. Gabriella and Sharpay were still rehearsing in their corner so the two guys stopped to watch for a while, studying the two girls' faces which were very emotional and serious. "Wow, I don't think I've seen Sharpay in a real drama before," Ryan comments to Troy. "Usually she is the one that is all comedy and smiles."

"I guess Darbus wanted a challenge for them both," Troy returns, keeping his eyes trained on Gabriella who is getting a wistful look on her face.

"Hey Troy, are you ready to head to practice?" a female voice asks, breaking the scene for Gabriella and Sharpay, as well as the concentration Ryan and Troy had on the performance. Troy turns his head and sees Marlene waiting for him just outside the door. "You said you would walk with me to the gym right?"

Troy nods his head and grabs his bag, saying goodbye to Ryan and heading out the door but not before seeing the slightly hurt look on Gabriella's face. 'I'm sorry Gabriella, but it's only right for me to explore the waters as you do right? Besides, Marlene is just starting to be a friend. Nothing major is going on,' he thinks to himself as he falls into pace with Marlene as they head to the gym.

"I knew it!" Sharpay exclaims, forgetting about the scene they were working on as she figures Gabriella wouldn't want to practice any more after that moment. "Troy Bolton is going out with a CHEERLEADER!"

Ryan gets up off the desk he was sitting on and glares at his sister to shut up. "Sharpay, we don't know that. Didn't you say he just started talking to this girl like today?"

"Well yeah but if she hangs with Jasmine, I expect her to move faster than normal," Sharpay returns.

"You mean like your speed?" Ryan questions, raising his right eyebrow. "Come on sis, leave him alone. And it's not like you're helping Gabriella right now either."

Sharpay looks over at Gabriella who looks pretty miserable and lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry Gabriella, I just, it rubs me the wrong way about those two together, especially because I always think of Troy as being part of Troy and Gabriella."

Gabriella puts her things away and packs her bag. "Well, there is no more Troy and Gabriella so you'll have to work through that one. As for me, I appreciate your concern, from both of you, but he has clearly moved on and in a way so have I."

"That's right, there's Hunter!" Sharpay says, momentarily forgetting that Gabriella herself had a new guy in her life. "Where is he anyway?"

"He's out in Hollywood or New York City, one of the two, doing promotional spots. It sounded like Hunter had quite the busy schedule from what he told me before Taylor and I left for the airport on Tuesday night," Gabriella responds, leading the other two towards the theater. "Hunter should be back on Friday night."

"Wow, you know his schedule and everything," Sharpay observes. "Must be serious."

When they get to the theater, Gabriella sits down in her normal chair in the audience and pulls out the playbook to start looking over lines. Ryan and Sharpay were scheduled to work on one of their duets so they took the stage. Kelsi wasn't quite there yet so they sat and just waited, Ryan using the time to observe Gabriella. 'For someone who is supposed to have moved on, she's awfully sad right now,' he thinks to himself, wondering what really is going on with her. 'Maybe she's just missing Hunter?'

Before he could pursue those thoughts further, Kelsi and Ms. Darbus appear, indicating the start of rehearsals. "Let's get going everyone, we don't have too much longer!" calls out Darbus, marking the start of another three hour rehearsal.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

It was lunchtime on Saturday which meant that Jason, Troy, and Chad were over at Zeke's house having another gourmet lunch on leftovers from what Zeke had cooked for dinner the night before. They had made a routine out of when they practiced, ran, and worked out as time had gone by, giving them the proper amount of focus they needed on their game before the season officially started again. Coach Bolton also has sporadic team practices in the Fall to keep his new team up and running smoothly, every member of both the varsity and junior varsity team being committed to another championship in the Spring.

"Seriously, for leftovers, these are crazy good," Jason comments, causing Zeke to smile. "I think you are even better than my mom, but don't tell her!"

The boys laugh and continue eating. "So, what are the plans for tonight? Movie and then maybe the arcade?" Jason suggests.

"Actually, I can't tonight, sorry J," Zeke responds. "Sharpay and I are going to some musical in downtown Albuquerque."

Jason nods in understanding. "What about you two?"

Troy smiles and gives him a thumbs up. "I'm in, sounds like a nice chill night to me. Chad?"

Chad looks at Troy nervously and responds, "Sorry but count me out. I have plans tonight."

"Oh really? Taking Taylor out to a romantic dinner that is beyond your means?" Troy jokes. "You know she likes you the way you are."

"Dude, I know that," Chad responds. "But we aren't doing a romantic dinner per say."

"So what are you doing?" Zeke asks, curious as to why Chad, who is usually pretty open about stuff is so secretive.

Chad shoots Troy a look and says rather quickly, "We're going on a double date with Gabriella."

Zeke and Jason look at each other as Chad does his best not to look at Troy as Troy keeps looking at Chad. Hating the fact that Troy was giving him "the look", Chad ventures to look at Troy and says, "Sorry man, Taylor arranged it before I even knew. I can cancel out if you want and spend the night with you and J."

Troy shakes his head. "No, that wouldn't be fair. I guess then it's true huh? Gabriella and Hunter are dating now?"

Chad shrugs his shoulders. "Gabriella is being all mysterious about it. I think they are but I guess I'll know better after tonight."

Troy looks away from the guys, outside the windows as he absorbs this all in. 'I knew this was going to happen when I broke up with her but not this soon, not with our best friends joining them,' he thinks, trying to take control of his misery. 'Suck it up Bolton, this is your doing, you told her that you had to let her test the waters before being 100 comfortable with your future together and so you could focus more on basketball. I should be happy for her…but then why does it hurt even more seeing her happy?'

Chad, Jason, and Zeke watch as a range of emotions cross Troy's face, not knowing what to say. Feeling the need to change the subject, Chad looks at Jason and asks, "When are you going to get the courage to ask Kelsi out man?"

Jason, surprised at the question, looks at Chad for a second and understands that he is now the topic of discussion for the sake of Troy. "I have no idea what you're talking about Chad," Jason responds, hoping his friends would buy it.

"All right, I know you guys think I'm dumb but come on! Even I, the most clueless one of the bunch, know that you and Kelsi have liked each other since at least the triple win!" Chad exclaims, referring to the day that the basketball team had won the championship, Taylor and Gabriella had led their team to winning the scholastic decathlon, and Troy and Gabriella had won the lead roles in the winter musicale.

Zeke jumps in on the conversation, deciding it was time to push Jason a bit more. "Yeah man! You two looked awfully cozy together through the summer and yet we find you here without having asked the girl out yet. What gives?"

"Hold up, that's not fair to gang up on me like that. Maybe I just don't want to have all the drama in my life that goes with a relationship!" Jason defends, instantly regretting his words as he sees Troy look over at him with sadness in his eyes.

"Jason, you play your cards right and don't make stupid moves like I have, and you'll be in a happy, loving relationship with a wonderful girl who completes you," Troy says, ignoring the looks from Zeke and Chad. "If you really like Kelsi, go after her and never let her go."

Jason, not knowing quite the words he should be saying back to Troy just nods his head in understanding. "Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm going to head home to shower. I'm starting to really stink," Chad says, not knowing any other way to break the tension. "Troy and Jason have fun tonight and Zeke, have a good time with the Ice Princess!"

Chad gets up from the table, followed by Troy and Jason who each grab their bags and head to the door. "Thanks Zeke for another fantastic lunch!" Troy calls out, smiling as Zeke gets a satisfied look on his face. Outside, Chad, Jason and Troy say their goodbyes, each driving away in their cars for their various destinations for the day.

----

That night, Chad, Taylor, Gabriella and Hunter drive together to the local mini-golf after a very spicy yet filling dinner at the girls' favorite Thai restaurant. Taylor smiles as she sees Gabriella truly smiling again, laughing at something just whispered to her as they were walking to the miniature golf's registration desk. Chad eyes the two and can't help but feel uneasy being there, seeing his best friend's ex-girlfriend holding hands and being genuinely happy with another guy.

"Taylor, I don't know. I feel like I'm cheating on Troy," Chad confesses in a whisper.

Taylor looks over at Chad with a bit of a surprised look. "Really? I didn't think you basketball lunkheads thought that deep about your emotions. Just kidding!" she says, trying to lighten up his mood but sees she was not terribly successful. "Well, if you want, I can stay here and have my mom pick us up when we're done so you can go home. I don't want you here if you don't want to be or if you're going to spoil Gabriella's happiness. She's been down in the dumps and she needs tonight, more than anything."

Chad looks from his girlfriend back over to Hunter and Gabriella who are now at the desk and are getting the four golf balls and clubs for them. "No, I'll stay. I want to spend the night with you, I feel like we haven't hung out that much lately."

She smiles and gives him a quick kiss. "That, Mr. Danforth, is all your fault. I've been free every day minus when we work on beefing up our knowledge for the scholastic decathlon but you have been busy with the guys and basketball."

"I know, I know. But it's our last year to prove ourselves as worthy of scholarships and hold true to our reputations as being East High's best varsity basketball team ever!"

"I understand that Chad. I'm just saying you would see more of me if you had the time is all," Taylor responds, quickly dropping the subject as Gabriella and Hunter come back over with the equipment.

"All right, we have three courses to choose from. One is the easiest which I think is the forest theme, one is medium which is the beach theme, and one is the hardest which is the jungle theme. Seriously, who thought these themes up?" Hunter asks, looking around.

Gabriella giggles and says, "I don't know but I'm sure the decorations will help with the ambiance."

"Right," Chad says, trying his hardest to accept the pair being together. "I say we go the hardest. It'll probably be the least crowded."

"Good point," Hunter returns, smiling at Chad. "I knew we brought you for something."

Taylor and Gabriella laugh as Chad pulls a face but then smiles. "Let's get rolling then shall we?" he says, grabbing Taylor's hand and walking towards the chosen course.

Mid-way through the course, Chad is leading with Hunter 1 down and with Taylor and Gabriella trailing by at least 10. Hunter looks over at Gabriella who is lining up to take her first shot of the 9th hole, looking very questioningly at the bumpy and curvy course ahead of her. He goes over and wraps his arms around her as he puts his hands over hers. "Let's try it this way shall we?" he asks into her ear, making Gabriella shiver at his nearness. She nods her head and allows him to guide her through the swing, jumping in excitement as the golf ball makes its way around the course and into the hole at the other end.

"OH MY GOD! A HOLE IN ONE!!!" she screaming jumping into Hunter's embrace. "That was so great!"

Hunter smiles down at her and kisses her on the cheek. "I told you that you could do it. Now scoot so I can try to do it on my own," he says, letting her go.

Gabriella walks to the side where Taylor is standing and watches as Hunter lines up the ball and swings, only to have it hit a bump and bounce out of the course, landing in a tiny river that was created for the scenery. "Don't say a word," Hunter says, embarrassed by what he just did.

Chad laughs and goes over to help him get it out before it goes too far. "Don't worry Hunter, we won't tell a soul," he kids, picking up the red ball for him. He hands it over to Hunter who grins, wiping it on his shirt. "Guess you're better at instructing Gabriella than doing this one on your own."

Hunter laughs and goes back to the start to restart the hole with one swing against him already. Taylor watches as he tries again, this time keeping the ball on the course but not quite in the hole at the end. "Hunter's a pretty good guy huh?" Taylor comments, watching as Chad jokes with Hunter again, glad to see Chad genuinely warming up to him.

"Yes, he certainly is," Gabriella says, a smile on her face. "You don't even know the half of it."

Taylor looks over at her best friend but sees that Gabriella is not about to divulge more than she has to at this point. 'She'll tell me when she's ready,' Taylor thinks, just happy to see Gabriella in better spirits after a week of more heartache. Ever since Gabriella saw Troy together with Marlene, Gabriella got the haunted look in her eyes again but with Hunter's return, Taylor hasn't seen that look again.

The two girls hurry to catch up with Hunter and Chad who have since moved on to the next hole. Seeing how Taylor had looked on at the last hole of Hunter helping Gabriella out, Chad decides to try to help Taylor himself. He lines Taylor up, helping guide her swing but groans as the ball hits the opposite side and bounces out, into the lake. Taylor looks at him with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Way to go Chad, now I lost my green ball! I think I was doing way better without you Danforth!" she scolds, eventually smiling as she sees the hurt puppy dog look he is giving her.

Gabriella and Hunter are laughing at the end of the hole, finding that they could not stop after the latest Chad and Taylor event. Hunter was really enjoying himself after a week of obligations and required socializing. He looks down at Gabriella and wraps his arm around her waist which causes her to look up at him. "Thanks for everything Gabriella, it means a lot," he murmurs, taking her right hand and kissing it. "You are way sweeter and more intelligent that I gave you credit for before this past week."

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment," she says back, smiling. Gabriella turns her attention back to Chad and Taylor who are looking at the lake, wondering if they could retrieve the ball. After a few more moments, the couple walks towards Gabriella and Hunter with their two clubs and Chad's orange ball. "Guess you're sharing from now on?"

Taylor nods her head. "Lunkhead basketball player agreed since he was the cause of the loss," she supplies, smiling a little. "I don't know what it is about him that makes me crazy about him but I can never stay mad at him long enough!"

Chad grins. "That, is a secret that I will never tell you. It's too valuable to me!"

They all laugh as Chad gets a kiss on the cheek from Taylor and they move on to finish the rest of the course. At the end of the night, Chad and Hunter end up tied with Gabriella actually close behind with Taylor trailing at the end. Hunter's help had really helped improve Gabriella's game much to her delight. After returning the clubs, the four get back into Chad's car and drive to the Montez household where Hunter's car is. They say goodbye as Hunter walks Gabriella up to her porch, smiling at the tired look she is trying to hide.

"Aww, is Gabriella tired?" he teases, seeing her blush. "I know I am so don't worry, I am not taking that as an insult."

"Guess it's been a long week. Lots of rehearsals for the musicale, meetings for the scholastic decathlon, and other drama. The good thing is that I got an A with Sharpay for our drama piece yesterday," Gabriella replies, thinking back to Drama class.

_Sharpay sits down on the make shift vanity they had positioned on the stage as Gabriella takes her place on downstage right as they begin the scene. Sharpay starts with her line first, talking about her nerves over getting married the following day to her fiancé._

_Troy and Ryan had just completed their act which Darbus seemed to have accepted but not necessarily loved and were sitting in the front row, fascinated with the girls who appear to have stepped fully into their characters. Especially for Troy, he savored this time he could watch Gabriella without it seeming obvious. He watched as she crossed to center, talking to Sharpay about how wonderful the wedding would be when Sharpay asks about whether or not Gabriella's character ever thought of her old loves._

_Gabriella, thinking on the question, sits down on the "bed" as Sharpay starts discussing her past romances, pulling out what was supposed to be a yearbook. The two talk about it, Sharpay smiling at the memories while Gabriella gets a look of longing on her face. _

_Sharpay turns and sees the look. "Thinking of THE ONE that got away again __are__ we?"_

_"I wouldn't say he got away but left me Agnes," Gabriella replies, getting up and walking to the place where the picture frame was sitting, waiting for her. "He broke my heart. I thought he was my true love," she murmurs, getting chocked up as she feels real tears forming. "I thought we were going to be forever, him and __I__. When he left me for that older woman…I can't talk about it anymore."_

_Sharpay crosses to Gabriella, who is allowing tears fall down her face and wraps her arms around her waist, also gazing down at the picture frame. 'Wow, when did she put a picture of her and Troy in there?' Sharpay wonders, now understanding the real tears that were falling._

_The scene ends and Darbus __is__ up on her feet clapping. "Bravo! Well done Ms. Montez and Ms. Evans. Very believable and extremely well thought out. Definitely an A!" she announces, causing the rest of the class to clap._

_Gabriella and Sharpay step away from each other and curtsy, Gabriella wiping away the tears clinging to her face, looking over the crowd and connecting with Troy for an instant before she forces herself to look away. _

"An A is always a good thing. I know how important your grades are to you too," Hunter says, breaking Gabriella's memory. "Well, I better let you get inside. Good night Gabriella."

Gabriella leans up and gives Hunter a kiss on the cheek. "Good night Hunter. Thanks for tonight."

"No, thank you. I'll see you on Monday okay?"

She nods her head and enters her house, leaving Hunter to walk to his car and get in to drive back to his house.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

Gabriella and Taylor are walking into school as they see Kelsi and Martha running towards them. "Gabriella! Have you seen the magazines? You're famous!" Martha exclaims, shoving such said magazine at Gabriella.

Gabriella takes it from Martha and gasps as she sees her kiss with Hunter from last week's launch on the cover. "Oh my," she gets out before hearing Taylor squeal.

"Well well, who would have thought our shy little smartie pants would actually land Hunter Smith," Jasmine says rather nastily, passing the group of friends. "Whatever he sees in you I'll never understand, just like how I never understood Troy's interest in you. Maybe it's the little sweet angelic act you have perfected. You know, that's probably your down fall. Real men can only take it for so long before they get frustrated with your 'innocent' ways. We all know that Troy broke up with you because you wouldn't go beyond kissing him."

Gabriella's giddiness evaporates at Jasmine's words and presence. Taylor is about to defend her best friend when Gabriella finally lets loose on the cheerleader. "Get lost Jasmine! I know for a fact you are still burned because Troy still won't run to you after he and I broke up. Doesn't that tell you something about your sad little obsession with him? It's not going to happen!" Gabriella half yells, coming face to face for the real first time with her tormentor.

Jasmine looks Gabriella up and down. "So you think you're all tough and mighty now that you're dating a Hollywood star huh? Such a delusional one you are. Maybe I should show you what a real woman can do. Hunter Smith is rather hot and it would give me real pleasure not only to show him what he's missing while being with you but also seeing him break up with you, just as Troy did, leaving you all heartbroken and in tears. Hey, maybe I'll get both of them in the end. Wouldn't that be so sad for you Ms. Smartie?"

"You don't know anything! And as to the reason Troy and I broke up, you don't even know the half of it and believe it or not, your schemes had absolutely ZERO to do with it. Don't you see? Outside your own little clique, you don't really have the power you think you do! You are just some power tripping cheerleader captain who doesn't have a single friend. Your companions standing behind you right now and the rest of your team? They deal with you out of fear, not true loyalty or friendship," Gabriella returns, unable to stop herself. "Hunter and Troy have way better taste than you, and they are a whole lot smarter than you give them credit for if you think just by showing them your stuff is going to get them to run over to you."

"I think you just issued me a challenge little girl," Jasmine spits out. "I never back down from a challenge." She then turns on her heels, her two companions following, and heads down the halls, swaying her hips. Gabriella stands there for a few moments, seething over Jasmine's audacity, only to find herself engulfed in a huge hug.

"That was amazing!" Kelsi exclaims, being one of the three girls hugging Gabriella.

"You finally stuck up for yourself!" Martha adds.

"Jasmine and her crew are so over! I bet she'll think twice before thinking she can run you over again," Taylor says, adding her hug too. "Don't let her ruin your day Gabriella, you were right in what you said. She's still all upset that she didn't nab Troy yet."

"Was that a cat fight we just saw?" Chad asks, coming over with Jason and Troy in tow. "Did our little Gabriella actually get vicious?"

"Shut up Chad," Taylor says, rolling her eyes. "Jasmine didn't get anything she didn't deserve. Unfortunately, I don't think that's the last of her in truth, as much as I'd wish that it was. It sounded like she meant business about Troy here and Hunter both."

Acknowledging the truth in that with a nod, Troy still smiles over at Gabriella, having just caught the very end of the fight as he and Chad enter the halls. He was so happy that she finally stood up for herself. Gabriella smiles back but they have their attention stolen away from each other when Sharpay comes running down towards them. "Gabriella Montez, how could you hold out on us like this?"

"Uh oh, she must have seen the magazine," Kelsi murmurs as Sharpay thrusts a different magazine at Gabriella, this time a picture from the miniature golf night on the cover and the title "True Puppy Love for Hunter?" on the top.

Gabriella looks over at Troy whose face is now clouded over as he looks at the building collection of magazines Gabriella has in her hands. She throws Sharpay a warning look and indicates Troy as Sharpay realizes who exactly was standing around Gabriella. "Sorry," she squeaks out, "I was just over excited. It's no big deal, really."

"You know Sharpay, for a drama diva, you suck at acting sometimes," Taylor says, now keeping an eye on Troy and Gabriella.

Troy, not being able to withstand all the eyes on him, decides to walk away and go to his locker. Chad accompanies him, wanting to make sure he wasn't by himself. Troy finally makes it to his locker and finds a copy of a magazine waiting for him in his locker, a different picture of Hunter and Gabriella on the cover. "Argh! Who wants to keep tormenting me like this?" he angrily asks, knowing seeing the magazine was just a minor part of his problems.

He bangs his head on a nearby locker and angrily wipes away a few tears of frustration from his eyes. Just as he was calming down, he hears a feminine voice behind him. "Troy, are you okay?"

Troy turns around and sees Marlene looking back at him, concern in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine," Troy responds, looking over to Chad who is still watching over him after getting his own stuff from his locker nearby.

Marlene carefully puts her hand on his arm and gives him a little smile. "Well if you change your mind, I'm here for you Troy," she says, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before heading to class.

"You know Troy, I used to want to be in your shoes but after all this drama, I don't know if I'd ever wish that again," Chad confides, putting a comforting arm around Troy's shoulders.

"Gee, thanks Chad," Troy responds sarcastically, stuffing his stuff in his bag, including the magazine. "We better go or we're going to be late for Spanish 3."

The two head down the hall to their first class of the day, passing Taylor and Gabriella, who is holding hands with Hunter, in one of the halls on the way. "Don't worry about it Troy, it'll all work out in the end," Chad reassures his friend as he hears Troy let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can only begin to hope you're right Chad," Troy responds, turning his head to watch the three continue on to their A.P. English class before turning his attention back to making their own way to Spanish.

----

Not being able to handle all the whispers and stares from her fellow East High classmates any longer, Gabriella finds herself heading up to Troy's secret spot; she couldn't call it their spot anymore, hoping to find some peace and quiet. Much to Gabriella's surprise, Troy is already sitting on the bench, looking at a magazine with an unreadable expression on his face. She is about to head back down when he looks up and spots her, softening his facial expression.

"Wait, don't go Gabriella. I think you need the sanctuary up here probably more than I do. I can leave," he offers, getting up.

"No, it's okay," Gabriella says quickly. "You were here first and it is your spot. I'm the one intruding. I'll just go to the library or something."

Troy lets out a dry laugh and shakes his head. "Look at us, we can't even be in the same place alone now? What's happened to us Gabriella?"

Gabriella walks up the final steps again and puts her bag down, leaning against the railing. "I wish I knew Troy, I honestly do," she answers sadly. "It's been weird, seeing you and knowing I can't be with you."

"Maybe then this was all a big mistake, especially on my part. I mean, I know what I did was for the right reason but it has been so tough to see you with Hunter, having fun with our friends," he says, indicating the magazine he was looking at that has pictures from the miniature golf date. "That should be me with you and Chad and Taylor, not Hunter, not that way."

"But I thought that was what you wanted," Gabriella replies, searching his face for something that would clue her in to what he was really thinking.

"I want you to be happy," Troy says, matter-of-factly. "If he makes you happy, then I'll be happy for you but for me, I honestly can't stop thinking about you and what I gave up a few weeks ago."

Gabriella sees the sincerity in his eyes and closes her own, trying to find something to ground her before getting lost in those blue eyes she loves gazing into. "Why did you do it Troy? Why were you so adamant about breaking up with me?"

"I told you then what it was. I needed to give you the freedom to explore what was at your fingertips, to find out if your fantasy love with Hollywood heartthrob Hunter Smith could be a reality. If I hadn't given you that chance, I would never have forgiven myself, especially with the way I was treating the situation. I broke up with you when I did, so suddenly, because I could see myself getting more and more jealous each day, as rumors flew around faster. To be honest, I knew that if I hadn't done it when I did, you would have done it for me a little bit later on," Troy confesses, keeping eye contact with Gabriella. "But Hunter wasn't the only reason. I struggled with this for quite some time Gabriella. I knew I loved you so much by the end of this past summer, I felt that you returned it too."

"More than you ever will realize," Gabriella murmurs, causing Troy to smile a little.

"You and I were getting so close, so committed, that, well, call me silly but I could see us together, much later in life. My biggest worry was that one day, we'd look at each other and forget why we are together, like it was habit and not desire, not love. This is the first serious relationship both of us have been in and I just didn't want us to be that couple who end up together for 20 years then wake up wondering what else is out there. I want both of us to be sure this relationship is what we want," Troy concludes, standing up and taking Gabriella's hand in his. He looks down at the still slightly visible scar on her left hand and kisses it, hearing her let out a soft sigh. "This of course, since I am being truthful, is the other reason. Jasmine and her dangerous games. Had she gotten close to you one more time when we were together, I was sure she was going to do worse. Call it a gut feeling."

Feeling guilty, Gabriella gently pulls her hand out of his grasp and takes a step back to put some distance between them. "I can understand all that, and I would agree that maybe we needed to test the waters so we aren't that couple. But, I disagree with the timing. Look at us Troy, we both still have feelings for the other but we're not free to express them now. I would have said yes, we should take a break if feelings were starting to falter, we were wondering about the other's sincerity and commitment but now, when feelings are so strong? Troy, I made that decision to come back to you the night of the talent show because I knew already that you were the one for me. Now," she begins shakily, "now you are the one that got away."

Troy looks away, drawing in a slow breath and nodding. "Because of Hunter right?"

Gabriella smiles sadly at him and nods. "I can't do something like what you are asking me to do right now Troy. It wouldn't be fair to Hunter."

"Do you love him?" Troy manages to choke out, afraid of what her response will be.

She takes a few moments before saying, "Remember, life is not always what it seems, and neither are the events that happen in life."

"Well that was a rather cryptic way of answering that question," Troy says, examining Gabriella's body language which was pretty stiff at the moment. "I guess I didn't really have a right to ask that anyway."

"Besides, you have your own girlfriend right? Marlene I heard her name was?" Gabriella asks, turning the tables on Troy. "Shouldn't you be worried about her in all this?"

"Marlene is just my friend," Troy answers truthfully. "We've been hanging out a little more is all. It could be more but I honestly haven't given it any thought. Maybe I should though."

"That's your call, not mine," Gabriella softly responds, feeling her heart ache a little more. "I better go, Hunter and Taylor are going to wonder where I am. I'll see you in PE?"

"Sure," Troy responds, shocked as Gabriella leans up and kisses him on the cheek. He watches her scoot down the stairs and into the main halls of East High before going back to the bench and sitting down. He strangely felt better about things after that discussion as it gave them both the time to air things out and yet he felt worse, knowing that there was about a 2 percent chance of them getting back together in this lifetime. 'Maybe I really should try to move on now,' he thinks to himself. 'It couldn't hurt, right?'

----

After Physics, Troy walks with Marlene over to her locker so she could get her cheerleading bag out of her locker. While she is rummaging through things to also get out books she would need for homework, Troy finds the courage to do what he had decided on at lunch.

"Marlene, what are your plans this Saturday?" he asks, his voice cracking a little from his nervousness.

Marlene stops fumbling in her locker and turns her full attention onto Troy. "Well, I think I have absolutely zero to do. What a loser am I?" she jokes.

Troy smiles and takes a deep breath. "Want to maybe catch a movie and a bite to eat with me then? We could be losers together."

"Losers together? That was so charming Mr. Bolton," Marlene kids with a smile. "Seriously, that sounds like a fantastic idea. Do you want to maybe meet at the theater?"

"Sounds like a plan," Troy responds. "Well, if you're ready, I have to go hit up my locker for a few things and then we can head on out to the gym."

Marlene happily closes her locker and picks up her bag. "Ready!" she answers, letting her right hand naturally reach out and hold Troy's left one. He looks down at their hands intertwined and smiles, only inwardly thinking how weird it felt. 'Times are changing Troy, you better get used to it,' he thinks, as they continue walking down the halls to their destinations.

----

"All right missy, you better spill. You have been in a slump since after lunch," Hunter states, leaning against the locker next to Gabriella's. "Now what's going on?"

Gabriella avoids his gaze and continues to look through her locker for something, even though she already has everything she needs in her bag. "It's nothing Hunter, really," she replies.

"Then why are you avoiding looking at me?" he asks, eyeing her actions. "Seriously Gabriella, what is going on? You are searching for something that isn't there and your locker is already the most organized in East High. You have no reason to be in there except to avoid answering my questions."

She lets out a sigh and closes the locker to lean against it. "All right, you win. I had a run in with someone and it left me with mixed feelings."

Hunter nods, observing a couple who is coming down the hall holding hands. He looks at Gabriella and sees the sadness creep into her eyes as she watches them too. "Was it by chance a run in with a certain jock with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes who just so happens to be dating a cheerleader now?"

Gabriella groans, knowing Hunter saw through all of her defenses. "Maybe," she comments, forcing herself to look away from the happy couple. "Don't worry, nothing happened, I promise."

"Gabriella, I trust you," Hunter says, placing his hands on either side of her face. "You are the absolute best thing that has happened to me here at East High and I'm not going to jeopardize it with some insane and explosive angry act. Don't forget, I also work in an industry which is fueled by rumors so I'm used to whispers, whether they be true or false. I've learned from that that trust is key and you, Ms. Gabriella Montez, have 100 percent of my faith and trust."

She smiles up at him, looking into his dark brown eyes. "You know Mr. Hunter Smith, if I didn't know better already, I would tell you that you were too good to be true," she says with a wink. "Ready to take me home?"

"That's right, no musicale practice for us today, whoo! How about a ride around town and then ice cream? I have my motorcycle today, I hope you're okay with that."

A grin spreads across Gabriella's face. "I'd love to go riding with you! I've never been."

"Well then, it's a plan," he says, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbing her hand in his as they walk to the parking lot.

Across the parking lot, next to the gym, Troy is saying goodbye to Marlene when he spots the other couple climbing onto Hunter's motorcycle and putting helmets on. He feels an all too familiar pain in his chest as he sees Gabriella wrap her arms around Hunter's waist and bury her face in his back as he takes off.

Marlene, seeing she had lost Troy, looks in the direction he is looking at and inwardly sighs. 'Better not get too attached, for several reasons,' she thinks, looking back at Troy and smiling. "You better get inside before those three guys standing behind you drag you in," she says, indicating Chad, Zeke, and Jason who were waiting for Troy so they could start with their two on two game.

Troy nods and says, "Have a good practice. I'll see you tomorrow morning in math?"

"It's a date," she responds back with a smile as she walks away from the guys.

Troy turns around and enters the gym, running to the locker rooms to change and running back out to see the guys stretching on the floor. He quickly starts stretching out, feeling his muscles get looser. While focusing on his right leg, he hears some interesting news.

"…and believe it or not she actually said yes!" Jason exclaims, a huge smile on his face. "Don't worry, I realize it is just a first date but man, it took so much to get to this point, I am super proud I was able to get to this point!"

"Whoa, did you actually ask Kelsi out finally?" Troy interrupts, astonished that his shy friend and teammate finally did what he's wanted to do for a while.

Jason nods his head and grins even more. "I asked her today at lunch, we took a walk on the field and I just blurted it out. Not the most sophisticated way of doing it but she seemed to be all right with the delivery since we now have a date on Saturday!"

"Congrats man, I'm happy for you," Troy says, giving Jason a high five.

"Looks like you're going to be the single guy out on Saturday night Troy," Chad points out, getting up onto his feet. "First time in a long time, you going to be okay?"

Troy also gets up and bounces on his feet for a little bit. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Besides I have my own date," he slips out. "I asked Marlene to go to the movies and dinner that night."

"Hold up, you're actually going on a date that's not with Gabriella? Whoa, I need to wrap my brain around that one," Zeke says, picking up a basketball nearby. "Guess it's about time."

"Yeah, with her dating Hunter and all, it's only fair you start having a love life again too," Jason adds. "Hey, if they start dating we'll have a cheerleader representative in our group of friends. How weird is that?"

Zeke laughs. "I don't know how well Sharpay is going to take that but I'm sure we'll get through it in one piece."

Troy rolls his eyes, imagining the fit Sharpay would throw if that happened. "All right, let's slow it down. It is one date, not an engagement. Let's just see how Saturday goes, shall we?"

"He's right," Chad says, stealing the ball from Zeke and making a shot from where he was. _Swish!_ "Now, are we going to stand around and talk about girls all day or are we going to play?"

"Play!" all three respond as they divide up and start practicing their skills.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

"Hunter Jonathon Smith, you better tell me where you're taking us!" Gabriella demands on Saturday early morning.

She was seated on a chartered plane again with Hunter, but this time his parents, his little sister Christine, and her own mother were on board with the two. All Gabriella knew was that they were going somewhere for the weekend. Hunter himself had not asked her to go. He had apparently arranged it all with her mother who wasn't saying anything either to her daughter. When Gabriella came home last night from another ride on Hunter's motorcycle, Mrs. Montez had informed her that they would be going away for the weekend and Gabriella had noticed her bag already sitting downstairs, already packed. Not another word was said to her since then.

Hunter laughs and looks over at Gabriella, his brown eyes sparkling. "Aww, did you trade lives with Christine? That's something she would pull!" he exclaims, earning a pout from Gabriella.

"We're going to California Gabriella! Mommy says we're going to go to Disneyland!" screams out Christine who is apparently up from her nap. Mrs. Smith promptly clamps a hand over her daughter's mouth.

"Sorry Hunter, I didn't realize she was up. She must have heard us at home," Mrs. Smith shrugs.

Gabriella is now grinning. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love your little sister?"

Hunter rolls his eyes. "The little squealer? Yeah, I have no clue as to why you would, really. All right, I'll let some of the weekend out of the bag. Yes, we are going to go to Disneyland for Christine would not forgive any of us if we were in LA and didn't go. We're going to go for a few hours as soon as we land so she can get her fill then go check into our hotel and then, well, that part I'm going to keep a secret for a while longer," Hunter replies with a huge grin on his face and a wink.

"You know this is torturing me right?" Gabriella asks, giving him her best pout.

"No way Gabriella, this is so not the way you are going to find out. You already know too much!" he returns.

Mrs. Montez reaches from behind Gabriella's seat where she is sitting to place a calming hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Don't worry Gabriella, you are going to love this weekend. I wouldn't have brought you here and wouldn't be here if I thought you would not enjoy yourself," Mrs. Montez says, trying to comfort her daughter, knowing how much she hates surprises.

Gabriella accepts this, knowing she had no real choice, and is overwhelmingly happy when the plane finally lands at one of the LA airports she is guessing. When they get off, they see Johnny waiting for them and two SUVs this time with tinted windows.

"Hello everyone, I hope you had a pleasant flight," Johnny greets.

"Like always," Hunter says with a smile, giving Johnny a hug. "This wonderful woman besides Gabriella is her mother who is also joining us this weekend. Did you arrange for a b-a-b-y-s-i-t-t-e-r for tonight?"

Johnny grins at his tactic and nods. "Everything is all set, as well as the clothing and hotel."

"Where's Disneyland? I thought we were going to Disneyland!" whines Christine who is looking around the airfield, desperately trying to see a castle or Mickey Mouse.

"We are sweetie, in just a few minutes okay?" Mr. Smith says, kneeling down on the ground so he was eye level with his daughter. "Remember what we said a few days ago about having patience?"

"Yes," she replies, a little reluctantly.

"How it is a virtue of a little girl who is always going to be on the good list of Santa?"

"Yes."

"Good," he says, picking her up in his arms and smiling at the rest of the people around. "What? Okay, so I pulled the Santa card. She understands the concept, right?"

They all laugh as they are ushered into the cars. Hunter jumps into the first SUV with Gabriella and Mrs. Montez as his parents and Christine follow in the second. Once in the car, Johnny turns around again with a grin on his face, handing Hunter something to look over. "By the way, congratulations on having the #1 album this week, and probably the next few weeks. Your fans seem to absolutely love it!" Johnny announces, leaving Hunter to look over the chart and a few articles.

Gabriella's smile broadens as she reads along with him. "Wow, look at some of those reviews. That's amazing!" she says, continuing to read.

Hunter smiles back at her, feeling relief rush through his body. He had honestly not even had time to think about all this in the past week with all the school work he had to catch up on that Gabriella helped with of course plus the rehearsals for the musicale. Hunter feels himself outright grin as he feels Gabriella kiss his cheek and whisper, "Congratulations!" in his ear. He puts an arm around her shoulder and squeezes it, silently thanking her for all her support.

Mrs. Montez eyes the exchange from the back, smiling at the two who seem happy together. 'Could Troy really be out of Gabriella's life for good?' she wonders, seeing the two start whispering together again.

Christine is the first to jump out of the SUV as they pull into the drop off zone and walk towards the entrance. Johnny had arranged to get them passes before hand so they could go straight to the gates of Disneyland. Hunter had pulled on a cap and put on some sunglasses before exiting, turning to give Gabriella and her mother a hand down. They meet up with his family and make their way to the entrance, laughing at Christine who keeps running ahead and then waiting impatiently for them to catch up.

They continue to run around the park, letting young Christine lead the way, dictating what they did as it was her first time to the park, meaning they ended up spending most of the time in Fantasyland. After waiting 45 minutes to ride Dumbo, they walk in to choose their elephants. Hunter had volunteered to take Christine himself on but Gabriella wanted to ride as well and figured she would just ride in a separate elephant. Hunter helps Christine into a Dumbo carriage with a violet color, Christine's favorite color and settles her in. Before Gabriella could get into the one behind it, Christine calls out to her.

"Gabriella, you have to ride with us!" she exclaims, patting a small spot next to her. "I want to ride with you too."

Gabriella eyes the spot and looks at Christine with a smile she hopes is calming. "I'm sorry Christine but there's no more room."

Before Christine could pout, Hunter pulls her onto his lap and pats the sit next to him. "Now there is," he says with a grin. "No escaping her highness so you better take a seat."

Smiling, Gabriella gets into the ride and buckles their seatbelt, helping Hunter readjust Christine so she was sitting on both of their laps with Hunter's arm resting around Gabriella's shoulders. They went up and down, up and down, and up and down until the ride finally ended. They hear Hunter's mom call out and they look over as she snaps a picture of the two teens and her daughter. Hunter leads the way out of the ride with Gabriella following behind, holding Christine's hand.

Hearing that the princesses were around, Mrs. Smith takes Christine from Gabriella and leads her daughter to the front of the castle to find the princesses with Hunter's dad in tow. Mrs. Montez had ducked into a shop so Gabriella and Hunter decide to follow her, taking a look at all the different hats. "Too bad Ryan isn't here, he would love some of these hats," Gabriella murmurs, eyeing a Minnie Mouse hat in pink dressed with a princess tiara.

Gabriella joins her mom as she looks at some children's hats to possibly buy for Christine, a very small thank you to the Smith family for taking both of them along this weekend. They pick out a princess crown with violet netting flowing down the back and purchase it before Hunter could see. Mrs. Montez and Gabriella head outside and see Hunter waiting, leaning against the wall of the store. His original hat looks to have been replaced with blue Mickey ears.

"Aww, that's adorable," Gabriella says, smiling at the boyish smile he gives her. Hunter pushes off the wall and grabs Gabriella's hand to search for his family while Gabriella's hand is wrapped around her mom. Once they find them in line to meet Cinderella, Mrs. Montez takes out the present she had purchased for the little girl and squats down to place it on her head. Christine lets out a shriek of excitement and gives Mrs. Montez the biggest hug.

"I LOVE IT!" she screams, forgetting she was supposed to stand in line. Mr. Smith just laughs at his daughter, smiling over at Mrs. Montez.

"Say thank you Christine," he encourages, making the small girl blush.

"Thank you," she repeats to Mrs. Montez and also to Gabriella who she gives another hug to.

Hunter takes Gabriella's hand and pulls her off to the side, in front of the castle. "Funny you and your mom did that for my sister, which by the way I thank you. I also got you something for everything you have gone through for me," he says, pulling out something from the bag he was holding. There, in Hunter's hands, is the princess Minnie hat Gabriella had been eyeing.

"You so were watching me weren't you?" Gabriella accuses, happily taking the hat from his hand. She tears up a little as she sees her name is engraved in the back. "I love it, thank you Hunter."

He grins back down at her and kisses her cheek before putting it on her head. He takes two of the pins that were already in her hair and secures the hat that way instead of using the chin strap. Gabriella smiles up at him, unable to believe how sweet Hunter was.

"That's perfect! Gabriella and Hunter, I want a picture!" exclaims Mrs. Smith as she sees the two. "Stay right there and get closer together. Hunter, take those sunglasses off too, they are ruining the picture."

Hunter obliges his mother and takes off his sunglasses as Gabriella steps closer to him. He wraps his arm around her as Hunter's mom takes a few pictures. Soon, they realize that Mrs. Smith was not the only one. Other people had noticed the two, recognized Hunter, and started taking a few pictures of the couple. Before long, Hunter was getting bombarded by fans to take pictures and sign autographs, who inadvertently pushed Gabriella out of their way. She happily steps back and watches with Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Montez as Hunter gets swarmed.

After a few more minutes of this, Johnny comes to the rescue with a pair of bodyguards. "We better go Hunter, this could be a problem," he advises his client. Hunter nods and motions for his family to follow as Mr. Smith had just joined his wife's side with Christine holding his hand. They calmly walk out of the park, Hunter waving at fans from between his bodyguards until he gets into the SUV and lets out a sigh.

"Wow, that could have been teen chaos," Gabriella comments with a laugh as Hunter rolls his eyes at her. "What? It so could have been. You handle their attention on you really well, I am impressed."

"Well then, I'm happy I could oblige," he returns, smiling. "So, we are running a little bit earlier than I expected so I guess we could go to the hotel early. Maybe relax by the pool?"

"Sounds wonderful, soaking up California rays! One small problem…I don't know what time I should be out of the pool because I have no idea what we're doing," Gabriella says, forcing a pout onto her face.

Hunter tsks and replies, "Nice try Ms. Montez. Mrs. Montez, your daughter sure is persistent!"

He could hear Gabriella's mom laugh in the back. "I warned you Hunter that my Gabriella doesn't like surprises and if she senses one, no matter her age, she has always acted like a 4 year old trying to find her Christmas presents early," Mrs. Montez replies, imagining the look on Gabriella's face at that exact moment.

"Fine, just one hint?" she begs, pleading with Hunter.

"All right, all right. You'll be getting dressed up and we're having dinner there. Johnny arranged for the same stylist that helped you on the night of the launch party to be there for you one hour before we leave. Your mother is coming with us as well. There, two hints, maybe three depending on how you look at it," Hunter explains, smiling as he knows Gabriella has no real clue exactly what they are doing that night.

Gabriella sits back in her seat and looks at the window contemplating what the night held for her. 'Dang Hunter and my mom for ganging up on me!' she thinks, smiling through her frustration knowing that whatever it was, it would be a wonderful time with her mom and Hunter both.

----

Troy jumps out of his truck and locks the door, rubbing the back of his neck before making his way to the front of the theater. He had thrown on a pair of nice dark washed jeans and a brown plaid button up after a relaxing shower after another intense workout with the guys. Troy chuckles at the memory of Jason missing every single shot he tried, getting frustrated. It didn't take a genius to know that he was worried about his date tonight with Kelsi.

As he nears the theater, he feels his mouth drop slightly as he spots Marlene who is waiting for him in a mid-thigh jean skirt and pink tank top showing some of her stomach and upper half. 'Wow, dressed to, well, something,' he thinks, putting on a smile. "Hi Marlene, sorry I'm a little late," he greets, kissing her on the cheek. "Ready to go in?"

"Sure," she responds, taking his hand and walking into the theater. "I was hoping we could go see that new romance movie that came out a few weeks ago. I have wanted to see it but haven't had the chance with cheerleading and all that. I'm sure you understand since you practice all the time."

Troy nods his head and smiles, turning to purchase the tickets. After her having to repeat the title to him twice, he correctly tells the worker the correct movie and takes the tickets from him. Troy heads into the building with Marlene on his side, unaware that she had lost Troy to a memory from a few weeks ago.

_"Come on Troy, it is supposed to be really, really good, I promise! It's a movie starring one of your favorite actresses!" Gabriella pleads, trying to persuade Troy to see the romantic movie that came out that very day outside of the theater. __"Great mood setter for us too, right?"_

_Troy stands his ground though, not able to look her in the eyes. "Chick flick," __is__ all he answered back with._

_"Are you serious? The Wildcat Superstar doesn't want to see a movie because he thinks it is a chick flick? What's wrong, afraid the guys are going to tease you without mercy if they find out we went to see it? I promise they won't. Taylor is dragging Chad to the same movie tomorrow night, so I know at least he will be seeing it too. Come on, please?" she begs, making sure Troy was looking at her best puppy dog face._

_"All right!__Anything but your puppy dog face!"__ Troy relents, grinning as she stops and smiles brightly up at him instead. He leads her to the theater box office and buys the tickets, giving her the best 'this is killing me' look and heads into the building, hands intertwined._

"Troy, can we get some popcorn?" Marlene asks for the third time, wondering where Troy had gone to.

He looks down at Marlene suddenly and nods. "Sure, go ahead and grab us some seats. I'll go get some," he replies, quickly going to the snack bar and waiting in line. 'This should be good, seeing a movie for the second time that I didn't want to see in the first place but with a different girl. Is it me or is this all wrong?' he wonders, telling the worker his order as he waits for the popcorn.

----

"Wow, this is gorgeous," Gabriella says to Hunter, taking in the luxurious hall of the best hotel in Beverly Hills that was decorated with rich colors with the finest china placed on the tables. "Now why exactly did you have to keep this a secret?"

"Well one I wanted to surprise you for the heck of it so you had something to look forward to after all the drama you've been going through lately. Second, I wanted to surprise you because tonight isn't just a gala, all the proceeds go to benefit the continued research for a cure and continued improvement of lives for those diagnosed with AIDS," Hunter explains. "I knew how important the cause is to you, just as it is to me, and I wanted to show you that Hollywood isn't just about the fame and glitz, it is also about giving back."

"I couldn't have said it better," she replies, smiling up at Hunter. "You really are fantastic Hunter, and to bring my mom out with us. I know she has loved this trip this weekend already."

Hunter looks down at her with a smile in his eyes and takes her hand in his to lead her to their table. The five of them sit down at the table, taking a look at the menu. A new slow song comes on over the speakers that sounds familiar, Gabriella recognizing it as the song she had sung with Hunter at the launch party.

He looks over at the dance floor and sees there are a few couples out dancing so Hunter grins at Gabriella before extending his hand. "May I have this dance my lady?" he asks, intertwining his fingers with hers as they make their way to the dance floor. "You really look breathtaking tonight," he murmurs, placing his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

Gabriella was dressed in a dark blue halter dress with a white ribbon around her waist and her dress was down in their natural curls, a few pieces pinned back away from her face with shimmering clips. "What can I say, the stylist that Johnny sent over again is heaven sent," she replies with a laugh at the face he pulls at her comment.

"That's a bunch of crap and you know it. You have your own natural beauty that every guy in this room is probably appreciating right now," Hunter responds, taking in the blush that is now residing on Gabriella's cheeks. "You know, your beauty only comes out more when you blush like that."

She feels her cheeks flush again, deepening the blush already there. "All right Hunter, enough. I really don't want to be all red when we head back to the table," Gabriella replies, actually hearing the song end at that moment.

Hunter chuckles as he escorts her back to the table to enjoy the dinner with his parents and her mom.

----

After the movie, Troy and Marlene walk across the street to the diner on the corner and sit in a booth, looking over the menu. The waitress comes and takes their order, leaving them to talk. "So, did you survive the movie all right?" Marlene asks, breaking the silence.

"Sure," Troy responds, making sure to hide the boredom he really felt. "Very sweet ending."

Marlene smiles, oblivious to his true feelings. "So, what do the Wildcats Varsity Basketball prospects look like for this year?" she asks, knowing this topic would open Troy up.

Troy and Marlene continue to talk about the basketball team and then eventually about the competitive side of cheerleading for the rest of dinner and until Troy pays for the bill and leaves the tip for the waitress. "You ready to head out?" he asks, coming back to the table.

Marlene nods and takes his offered hand, leaving the diner and walking back to the parking lot of the theater. Troy walks Marlene to her car and watches as she unlocks the driver's side door. She turns around and smiles up at Troy. "I had a great time tonight Troy, thanks for asking me out," Marlene says, looking into his eyes.

"So did I," Troy hears himself responding. Marlene continues looking into his eyes and before he knows it, he is leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips which she happily returns. Troy pulls away, looking at the dreamy look on her face.

"Good night Troy," Marlene says, getting into her car and putting on her seatbelt. She gives Troy a small wave before pulling away and leaving Troy to walk to his car.

Troy shakes his head as he thinks back to the night. 'I really started tonight with the best intentions,' he thinks as he walks back to his truck. 'I really wanted to try the waters but there was no real chemistry there with Marlene, not the way there is, was, with Gabriella. Oh Troy who are you kidding? It's not really fair to Marlene to keep comparing her to the love of your life, now is it? But that kiss…not a single spark or warm feeling, doesn't that say something? But I can't just not talk to her now, she thinks everything went well, which it did, if only I wasn't thinking this way…'

He lets out a groan as he rests his forehead on his arms that are folded over the top of his steering wheel. 'What am I going to do come Monday?' he wonders, not knowing what road was the best to take.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

"Morning Chad," Taylor greets, smiling as Chad leans over to give Taylor a kiss. "Mmm, my favorite way to start my Monday morning!"

Chad smiles, enjoying looking at his girlfriend. He hadn't had that much time with her lately because they were pushing on with the basketball practices on top of his track and field practices. "Have I told you that I'm one of the luckiest guys at East High?" he asks, surprising Taylor.

"Because you are a star athlete?" she asks.

"No, because I have you as a girlfriend and we have none of this drama in our lives and relationship," Chad replies, kissing her again.

Taylor cocks and eyebrow and looks at Chad curiously. "All right, what did you do to Chad and how do I get him back? That's not a Chad saying, not even close."

Chad shrugs his shoulders, still smiling. "Just how I feel, thought it was about time I told you. Seeing all this drama Gabriella and Troy are going through makes me realize how good I have it with you and that I better not take it for granted."

Before Taylor could say anything more, Kelsi and Jason come through the front doors of East High with huge grins on their faces and holding hands. "Hi guys," Kelsi calls out, leading Jason over to them.

"Well hello newest couple at East High," Taylor greets, grinning widely at her friend. "I take it the date went well."

Kelsi shyly nods as Chad gives Jason a high five. "Good job J!" Chad says, a grin on his face.

The four start talking as they watch another couple walk through the doors. "Troy and Marlene, an official couple?" asks Jason, unable to believe his eyes. "I know they went on a date on Saturday but I didn't think he was taking it that seriously."

"No kidding," Chad says, observing Troy as he walks in with Marlene on his arm. "Dude, the guy didn't even say anything to me about him taking this to the next level."

"Uh oh, that's not good. Gabriella and Hunter are coming in right behind them," Kelsi observes, feeling a huge fight about to come on.

Before Troy and Marlene could get much farther than the four friends, Jasmine steps into their path with an evil glint in her eyes. "What do you want Jasmine?" Troy asks, annoyed that the cheerleader had popped up in his life again.

"I have a little score to settle with your new girl it looks like. She over stepped her bounds this time and there is no going back," Jasmine says, not even sparing Troy a look as she stares at Marlene who has backed up a little.

"What is your problem Jasmine? Are you convinced that you can keep interfering with all my relationships until there are no girls left at East High so I am forced to date you or something?" Troy asks, unsure of Jasmine's true motives.

Marlene squeaks as Jasmine advances on her until Marlene walks into a set of lockers. Jasmine herself is forced to step back as she recognizes it is Gabriella who has stepped in front of Marlene, putting herself between the two girls. "Back off Jasmine," Gabriella says, pushing away her fears of the girl.

Jasmine stares at Gabriella for a moment before saying, "Move! This isn't your battle Gabriella. You and I have our own fight but this one is not yours. Marlene betrayed me in the worst way and for that she's going to pay."

Troy and Hunter eye the three girls, worried about what could happen next but not knowing how to break them up effectively. Sharpay and Ryan have just arrived at East High but join Kelsi, Taylor, Jason and Chad in watching from a distance away, not daring to get closer to the two cheerleaders and Gabriella.

"Whatever she did, I'm sure Marlene didn't mean it," Gabriella says. "If it's about her dating Troy Bolton, then you have no reason to be mad at her. Who Marlene dates is her business and just because she got to date Troy before you got him to ask you out is not a criminal offense."

"Are you really defending the basketball captain's new girlfriend? I thought you were smart," Jasmine responds, outraged that Gabriella was standing in her way of hurting Marlene. "How can you, as a member of the female species, stand up for the girl who replaced you in your ex-boyfriend's heart? That's unheard of!"

Gabriella sadly shakes her head. "Maybe that's so, maybe I should be going after her out of jealousy the way that you are trying to do now, but I am a hopeless romantic in my soul and if Troy and Marlene really care for each other, they deserve a chance, without anyone interfering. I only wish that I had the guts to say all this to you while I was dating him, things could have been a lot more different. Maybe I wouldn't have this small scar to remind me of you," Gabriella retorts, indicating her left hand which she puts in Jasmine's face.

"You think she's so innocent do you Gabriella? I have news for you. Marlene was supposed to get Troy away from you and make him available for me. After you and Troy broke up on your own, she was supposed to then just soften him up first then move over. Somewhere along the line the stupid idiot fell for the Bolton charms and blew me off. Now do you think she deserves your so called protection?" Jasmine reveals, savoring the shocked look on Gabriella's face.

Gabriella looks behind her to see Marlene sadly nodding her head. "I admit it, that was the original plan," Marlene confesses.

"See?" Jasmine states with a satisfied look on her face. "Now step aside and let me handle this my way."

"No," Gabriella returns, standing her ground. "She still deserves a chance with Troy if he wants to still. That's between the two of them."

"So you aren't moving then?" Jasmine asks, eyeing this new Gabriella.

Gabriella looks over at her friends and then at Marlene. "Nope, don't think that's really in my capabilities right now," Gabriella states, hoping Jasmine wouldn't push it much farther.

"All right, I can see that I'm not going to get anywhere here. Marlene, you better than your lucky stars that Ms. Smartie has stepped in and saved your behind. But Gabriella, this so ups the feud between us. Don't you dare think I'm going to forget this," Jasmine threatens, taking a step closer to Gabriella who swallows but doesn't take a step back but keeps her ground.

Jasmine, furious with the turnout of her supposed meeting with Marlene, turns on her heel and storms down the hall, four other cheerleaders following quickly behind her as they keep looking back at Gabriella and Marlene who is still standing behind her. Once they were out of sight, Gabriella lets out her breath and closes her eyes. She feels a pair of arms engulf her as she leans into him for support. "Thanks Hunter, that was just what I needed to diffuse those feelings I just had," Gabriella says, looking up into his brown eyes. "Walk me to class? I can't be by myself in the halls right now just in case."

"I wouldn't dream of it Gabriella. She looked ready to kill and there is no way I'm leaving you unprotected after that heroic act," Hunter says, picking up the bag Gabriella had dropped and walking with her down the hall to her locker.

Troy, seeing he couldn't talk to Gabriella like he wanted to, approaches Marlene who has tears in her eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" he asks, feeling bad that she was put in this state by Jasmine. "Come here."

Marlene instantly steps into his readied embrace and cries openly onto his shoulder as Troy runs his hand up and down her spine, trying to comfort her. Eventually he feels her sobs subside as she steps back. "Thanks Troy but I can't deal with this right now. Can we talk after school?" Marlene asks, picking up her bag.

"Sure," he answers, watching as she runs down the hall and around the corner.

"Okay, I did not expect that one," Kelsi comments as the group approaches Troy who is still standing in the middle of the hall. "I felt a confrontation coming on but not that, not by a long shot."

Jason puts his arm around her shoulders, bringing Kelsi closer to him for which she smiles up at him. Ryan and Sharpay notice and each smile at the new couple but refocus on Troy as he lets out a frustrated scream, one that he has become all too familiar with since the summer.

"Troy, come on dude, let's go take a walk," Chad says. "Sharpay, can you take notes for us in Math? I know you usually don't but for this once?"

Sharpay nods, letting the stab at her slide as there was something much more important at hand at the moment. They all split directions to go to their first period class as Chad walks with Troy up to his spot on the roof.

Chad stares at Troy as he paces back and forth, running his hands through his hair and nervously rubbing the back of his neck. In all the years they had been best friends, since preschool, Chad could not recall another time he saw Troy so torn up. After a few minutes, Chad was going crazy with all the pacing and no talking. "Troy, talk to me man," Chad says, stepping in Troy's path to force him to stop. "You need to talk to someone right now or you're liable to do something you may regret."

Troy nods and sits down on the bench, placing his head in his hands. "Do you ever have those days where you feel like you have been run over by a bulldozer, lifted up by your fingers by a crane, and then buried by a cement truck? A little graphic and extreme, I know, but that's how every day for the past few weeks have felt for me," Troy rants, taking in a deep breath. "My life is a mess and my relationships with girls are screwed up. I've got Sharpay who thankfully has backed off since the end of summer and has become a friend since she has been dating Zeke. Then there is Jasmine who is a psychotic stalker or something. There's something loose in her head that makes her go to these extremes that I will never understand. I just want her to leave me alone! Now there is Marlene who I wanted to start anew with, I really did, but Saturday night's date was just not what I thought it would be. I compared her to Gabriella the whole night and then when we kissed, yes, faster than my normal style, there were no sparks, no connection but I couldn't bear to hurt her so she thinks we are dating. Then today to find out she was conspiring originally with Jasmine, talk about whoa. That leaves me with Gabriella, the one that got away, as she likes to call me nowadays."

Chad just stares at Troy, trying to absorb it all in. "Maybe we shouldn't have voted you captain of our team two years ago Troy. By doing that we attracted all these psychos into your life, Gabriella excluded," Chad jokes, trying to get Troy to laugh.

Troy at least cracks a smile but drops it as he continues to think of what he has going on in his life. "Chad, I just don't know what to do. I feel like I haven't given Marlene a fair chance and yet, I know that Gabriella is the only girl for me."

"It seems to me that you know exactly what you need to do then Troy," Chad responds, in some ways relieved that Troy finally has admitted it to himself that he's still crazy over his ex. "You owe it more to Marlene to be truthful and honest instead of trying to spare her feelings in all this, especially if what Jasmine said is true. I saw Marlene and she confirmed that it was."

"Right but should I really let one bad call on her part taint her as a bad person?" Troy asks. "I mean, we all make mistakes, I should know."

"Troy, you need to stop being the nice guy here and look at the situation. You are still in love, deep love, with Gabriella. No matter how much you twist it around, now that you have at least tried to date someone else, nothing is going to change that feeling you have deep within you. Stop right here and now today and tell Marlene the truth, that you can't be with her in the romantic sense. You two can still be friends, as cliché as that sounds, eventually after time has passed. What she did does not make Marlene a bad person but it puts into question if you could ever truly trust her in any other capacity if not for the added Gabriella factor," Chad explains.

Troy nods his head, agreeing. "So, hanging out and dating Taylor has finally paid off huh? Mr. Guru?"

Chad chuckles. "Funny you should say that. Taylor was telling me this morning I was acting different because I spoke some romantic words to her, which as we all know, is not the Chad Danforth way but I can't help it when she's around, I'm starting to get all Troy gushy!"

"Hey!" Troy defends. "But seriously man, thank you for being there. Not to sound like a girl but it means a lot to have my best friend here for me, through thick and thin. So we have a plan, well I do, in regards to Marlene but what about Gabriella?"

"What about her Troy?" Chad asks.

Troy rummages through his bag and pulls out some pieces of paper which he hands over to Chad. "These were left for me on my doorstep late last night. Someone rang the doorbell then ditched. They are of Gabriella and Hunter, looking very happy together," Troy explains as Chad views them. They were images someone had printed off the internet tabloids and printed out for Troy's benefit.

"So? They are dancing and smiling, may not mean what you think it does."

"What? That doesn't make any sense Chad. These were taken at a charity gala held in Beverly Hills! They're holding hands at the dinner, posing at Disneyland together. That doesn't strike me as a platonic relationship," Troy states, taking the pictures and shoving them back in his bag. "I did this and I can't bear to hurt her again."

"Hold up, explain that one to me," Chad says. "If you think Gabriella would get hurt by you confessing you still love her, I doubt it."

Troy stays silent for a moment but then confesses about the little talk Gabriella and Troy had on the roof. "I kind of indicated to her that I still feel this way and she point blank told me that she couldn't do it to Hunter," Troy concludes, looking over at his friend who looks like he is thinking hard.

"So she told you that she couldn't leave Hunter for you?" Chad asks.

"Well it was more of an 'I can't hurt Hunter' type of thing," Troy answers. "Either way, she made it clear that she was with Hunter."

"Is she truly happy though?" Chad questions. "Yes, she's smiling in all these pictures but can you tell me that you believe that a piece of her isn't longing for you still?"

"In my dreams she is. Reality though, I'm not so sure."

Chad puts his hand on his best friends shoulder. "Then maybe you better find out before losing hope on that girl and your relationship."

Troy agrees, feeling much better than he had almost an hour ago. "I guess we totally missed math today. Sorry for causing you to skip Chad."

"Are you serious? Troy, you got me out of math! I'd happily do it for fewer reasons! Besides, this way, Coach Bolton will excuse both of us and it'll all be fine."

Laughing Troy says, "Come on then. We'll go find my dad and get him to write those notes."

"All right!" Chad exclaims, following Troy back down to the halls of East High in search of Coach Bolton.

----

It was a White Day so Troy didn't see Gabriella at lunch and had been unable to talk to her in Drama as Darbus was in a foul mood and had all the students reading silently "Macbeth" to keep them out of her hair. When he is about to approach Gabriella as they leave class, he spots Marlene and remembers their agreed upon talk. He smiles and motions for Marlene to follow him as they walk towards the courtyard which was empty at the moment.

"Troy, after everything that happened this morning," Marlene starts saying, "I totally understand your need to distance yourself from me. I thought about it all day and I think deep down I knew you weren't really there on our date on Saturday but I wanted to try so hard to make myself believe that I was just making that up. Seeing the look of concern and fear you had in your eyes this morning for Gabriella when she stood up for us, for me, only confirmed the feeling I have that you aren't over her, not by a long shot."

He stares back at Marlene for a moment but decides he better own up to the truth now. "I hate to be the jerk here but I think that's the best name for me that you'll be using later today. To be fair to both of us, more so to you, I can't continue to date you Marlene. Not because of this morning necessarily but because, as hard as I tried over the past few days, weeks, I can't see myself with anyone else at the moment. You genuinely are a wonderful girl, a catch for some other lucky guy, but I just don't think we are a match. Now, whatever your part in Jasmine's plans was, I know enough about you to know that you didn't mean any true harm. You couldn't have acted as sincere as you were when you apologized if you didn't mean it."

Marlene smiles a little at this and says, "I honestly wish the situation was different because Troy Bolton, you are quite the catch. I really did mean what I said, I am sorry for Jasmine and all her schemes. She's been way out of hand and I only agreed to this plan because she was thinking of much more drastic measures, not like killing Gabriella or anything which I think your friends and you think her capable of, but other ways, girl ways. So yes, I did follow through with her plan but then I started seeing what a genuinely nice guy you were and I couldn't complete it the way she wanted me to. You are too sweet and innocent, forgive the word but you are, to be thrown to a lioness like Jasmine. I hope you understand Troy that I really didn't want to hurt you in any way."

"I think I get the picture," he responds. "Well, I think we've said everything we need to. I still would like for us to be friend but of course it will be after a little while."

"I'd like that, and I agree, it'll take some time for you to really learn to trust me again. Oh, and one more thing Troy, if you get that chance to win Gabriella back, take it. Not many girls I know would do what she did this morning and for that, she will always have my respect," Marlene says, giving Troy a kiss on the cheek before heading to her car and taking off from the parking lot.

Troy watches her go and spots Hunter walking with Gabriella and Taylor, deep in discussion, towards Hunter's motorcycle. Taylor gives Gabriella a big hug and waves goodbye as Gabriella jumps onto the back of the motorcycle and takes off with Hunter. Taylor spots Troy watching and comes back over to the courtyard.

"You okay?" Taylor asks, truly concerned.

"Yup, just concerned about Gabriella is all," he answers. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, you mean after Super Gabriella came in through East High's main doors thing morning and planted her feet firmly in front of Jasmine, blocking her from your girlfriend?" Taylor jokes. "Gabriella will be fine, she just shocked herself more than anything this morning."

"Ex-girlfriend, well not even ex-girlfriend since we weren't really dating. I guess former dater?" Troy tries to correct Taylor. "I told Marlene a few minutes ago that she and I wouldn't work out because my heart is already taken, and taken for good I have learned."

Taylor smiles at Troy, putting her hand softly on his arm. "Gabriella still cares for you too if that is any comfort. As to what happened this morning, I think with everything Jasmine has put her through and what Jasmine has done to you, Gabriella is finally getting sick of it and putting shy Gabriella behind her when it comes to that girl. I mean, come on, Jasmine makes old Sharpay look like a kitten, not a tigress."

Troy lets out a laugh. "Oh man, you and Chad really are great for each other. Can I just tell you that I am very happy you two got together? You seem to have brought out an amazing side to Chad I've never seen, a more sensitive and wise side, while he seems to have brought out your silly side. It's great!"

"Very funny Bolton, but thank you," Taylor responds. "Seriously though, just give Gabriella some time and she'll be better, probably as early as tomorrow morning. I think what we are all looking out for now is what Jasmine is going to do next to strike back. It is pretty much guaranteed now that she's going to do something."

"That's what has me worried," Troy confesses, looking away from Taylor and back over to where Gabriella was moments before. 'Whenever that happens, I need to make sure I am there for her this time, at any cost,' he thinks, becoming overwhelmed with worry over Gabriella's safety again.

Chad approaches the two and wraps an arm around both his girlfriend and best friend. "Don't look so worried Troy, we'll all watch out for Gab," Chad says, reading Troy's thoughts. "None of us are going to let Jasmine hurt her if we can help it."

"Thanks man," Troy says, smiling at both Chad and Taylor. "That means a lot."


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

A few days have passed since the big confrontation and things were getting back to normal. The whole gang had lunch together today since it was Thursday, meaning this week it was a Red Day, so they sat together at their normal table, each laughing and talking with each other. Hunter feels his phone vibrate and frowns, not knowing who it could be. He pulls it out and sees it is Johnny.

"Gabriella, I'll be back, it's Johnny," he says before leaning over and kissing her lightly on the cheek and then heading outside the cafeteria. Once outside, Hunter puts the phone back to his ear. "What's up Johnny?"

"Are you sitting down?" Johnny asks, excitement in his voice. "You got the lead my man! The other actor they had lined up originally couldn't come to an agreement with the studio so they have decided to go with you!"

"Great, second choice," Hunter mumbles, looking over at his friends who he can see through the windows. He spots Gabriella who is smiling, looking genuinely happy for the first time since Monday. "Is that such a wise decision to accept if that's the case? Won't I get a bad rep for that?"

"No way, if anything you'll get the reputation of being reliable and someone easy to deal with. It's the casting agent's own fault for passing you up for this other guy to start with. I hear he is a real pain to deal with. Now, if you don't have any more problems, I want to get you out here to LA pronto," Johnny announces. "I've talked to your parents and they are prepared to talk to the school about getting you material to work through during the three months you'll be gone for the shoot in Toronto."

Not being able to process everything being thrown at him, Hunter does in fact sit down on a nearby bench, taking a moment to think through everything. "So you want me to get on a plane tonight, to go there for some time before going to Toronto?" he asks, trying to clarify everything.

"Timeline isn't too exact until we finish negotiations but yes, I don't expect you will be attending East High for a few months after today. Don't worry, we can fly your girl out here or there to see you every now and then if that's a problem," Johnny offers.

Hunter looks back over at Gabriella and smiles as she is caught watching him once again. "No, I think that area is fine but man, I have things here I can't just drop. I'm supposed to be a lead in the fall musicale remember?" Hunter reminds his agent.

"Oh, I forgot," Johnny confesses. "But, what would you rather do Hunter? If you skip out on this lead in the movie for that high school musicale I swear I'll fly out there and kidnap you. It's a high school performance, big deal."

"It is a big deal," Hunter angrily replies. "Especially for Gabriella and my friends."

Realizing how angry Hunter was Johnny apologizes immediately. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said but you have to think of your career here Hunter. This could cement you into true Hollywood star status. Maybe win you some awards. Are you really going to throw it all away for these kids? I thought you'd be excited about this!"

"Look, I am Johnny, trust me I am. But I also have a responsibility to my friends, especially to Gabriella. I can't leave them stranded. Let's do this. If I can find a way for someone to fill in for me for the show at the end of next week, I'll be out there in a heartbeat. Just give me some time to work this out, okay?"

Hunter hears Johnny let out a sigh. "All right, we'll do this on your terms but Hunter, as your agent, I have to press upon you the importance of taking this role and striking while you have so much success with your other projects."

"I hear you man, I hear you," Hunter reassures his agent. "I'll call you this afternoon."

Hunter hangs up and heads back inside, a mix of emotions. He was beyond ecstatic about the role he just landed but he was also troubled by what he was going to do as to not let Gabriella and the gang down. On the way back to the table he watches Troy and Gabriella talk, seeming to have finally gotten over the awkwardness that has plagued them for weeks. 'Troy, I should have thought of that from the start!' Hunter suddenly thinks, getting a true smile on his face now.

He makes his way over to the table and leans over Troy's shoulder. "Can I talk to you outside Bolton?" he asks.

Troy turns around and gives him a confused look but nods and gets up to accompany him outside. "What's up Hunter?" Troy questions, looking at Gabriella's boyfriend as he thinks something out.

"Would you do anything for your friends?" Hunter asks, already knowing the answer.

"Of course! Wait, what's wrong?" Troy asks, knowing instinctively that something was up. Troy and Hunter never spoke together alone, especially after Hunter and Gabriella became known as the "IT" couple in Hollywood.

"Would you sing and dance in the fall musicale to save it from certain doom? To help Kelsi, Sharpay, Ryan, and of course Gabriella?" Hunter pushes, watching Troy's face for his gut reaction.

Troy doesn't say anything for a few moments, thinking on it in his head. "If it meant doing it so they could do the show then I would but they have you, don't they?" Troy answers.

Hunter shakes his head and smiles. "Not now. I just got a call from my agent telling me I got a role that I auditioned for a few weeks ago. I honestly thought I didn't get it but he just called saying I have to leave tonight and will be gone for the next few months. You, Troy Bolton, are the only guy I know of that would be capable of picking up all the lines and dance moves before next Friday. Will you do it?" Hunter asks, giving Troy a few moments to sit down and think.

When Troy finally speaks, he has a worried smile on his face. "I'll do it. If it is the only way that Darbus will continue on with the show then I'll do it for my friends, for Gabriella."

"Good man," Hunter says, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll talk to Ms. Darbus and straighten it all out. Can you do me one last favor?" Troy nods his head. "While I'm gone, keep an eye on Gabriella. She's still a bit jumpy after that confrontation and I don't want anything to happen to her."

"I don't either. I'll keep an eye on her, don't worry," Troy says, taking Hunter's hand and shaking it. "I can't believe I'm going to sing again!" he mutters to himself causing Hunter to laugh.

"Troy, if what I heard in the auditions is how you sing, you have nothing to worry about. Now, if you are trying to take my career away then I'd say you have a long way to go," Hunter jokes, causing Troy to laugh. "Oh, and please don't say anything to Gabriella. I'd like to do that myself."

"Of course dude," Troy answers, truly understanding.

"Thanks Troy, you won't regret it, I promise," Hunter says before heading back inside.

----

"That's so great!" Gabriella squeals, jumping up and giving Hunter a huge hug. "You finally got your HUGE break!"

Hunter laughs and hugs her back before setting her down on the ground. "Wow, I didn't think you'd take it this well," he confesses.

"What do you mean, why wouldn't I be excited?" Gabriella asks, confused by his statement.

"Well, this role means that I won't be able to return to school for another three months or so after today," Hunter explains, seeing it all come together in her mind now. "Family Living this last period before that final bell was my last class here at East High for a while. I'll be back after all is done but I have to head out tonight to go to LA for negotiations."

"Still though, you'll be back and we'll keep in touch right?"

Hunter brushes back a loose strand of hair behind Gabriella's ear. "Of course," he responds. "Like I would let you fall off to the side like that, especially after everything we have been through and done together. Gabriella Montez, I don't ever want to hear of you thinking yourself as just a fan of the star Hunter Smith again. You will forever hold a special place in my heart, no matter time or distance."

Gabriella smiles and hugs Hunter again. "You really do mean a lot to me Hunter, I'll miss you."

Hunter wraps his arms around her again, placing his head on the top of hers. "I'll miss you too. No more cat fights without me okay? Or if you do I want them videotaped and sent to me. Did I mention how very amazing that was?"

Gabriella steps back from his embrace and laughs. "Only a few thousand times since Monday but I do appreciate it. So far so good on that front, no sign of Jasmine but that doesn't mean the danger is over. I keep looking over my shoulder just in case."

"Smart woman. I would agree, she's up to something but is taking her time with this one after all the failures," Hunter confirms.

"Wait, what about the musicale?" Gabriella asks, remember their performances were supposed to happen the following Friday and that weekend. "You aren't going to be here!"

"I was wondering when that little head of yours was going to put that together," Hunter responds. "Don't worry, it's all taken care of. I've talked to Darbus and we have a replacement for me who is already hard at work as we speak."

Curious, Gabriella asks, "And this would be?"

"Your ex," Hunter responds simply.

"Troy Bolton? You got Troy to sing and dance in the musicale again? What did you do to get him to agree?" she asks, knowing that Troy had not been all that keen in earnest about the musicale this year.

"Just told him he would have a stunning partner who would guide him through everything in the show. I admit, I laid the guilt trip on him kind of heavy, telling him the whole show was dependent on him agreeing to do it otherwise you, Kelsi, Sharpay and Ryan would see your dream fall musicale crash and burn," Hunter confesses.

Gabriella playfully slaps him on the arm. "You Mr. Smith are utterly horrible. Still, I can't believe you got him to agree."

"Powers of persuasion baby," Hunter says, a rakish smile on his face. "All right, now that we have had our little talk, I must go and round up all my assignments for the rest of the semester and see myself to the airport. Want to help? You'll get a sneak peek of your next few academic months."

Not being able to resist that lure, Gabriella agrees. "Sure. I don't have rehearsal today, the last day of this freedom before Darbus goes all mandatory rehearsal on us."

"I expect full reports now Gabriella," Hunter kids as they head to their first stop, back to Family Living. "You're not going to forget about little old me right?"

"Of course not, it's more likely the reverse! I wish you could at least come back and see the musicale if you have the time," Gabriella says.

"I'll try, how about that?" Hunter offers, earning a smile from Gabriella. "All right, let's get going. Gotta make it onto that chartered plane in 2 hours or Johnny is going to have my head." Hunter grabs Gabriella's hand and pulls her along with him as he goes through East High's halls, collecting all his assignments and accepting a few congratulations from the teachers. Once done, he jumps into his car with Gabriella beside him and drops her quickly off at her house but not without giving her one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you soon Gabriella."

Gabriella smiles in return and watches as he drives off to meet his Hollywood destiny.


	18. Chapter 18

Ch. 18

Troy and Chad drive into the East High parking lot together, getting out and pulling their bags from the car. Troy drove today as he had a long rehearsal for the show. Chad figured he could catch a ride with Taylor home.

"I still can't believe you're going to be in the musicale again dude," Chad says, as the two walk to their lockers. "I mean, all the singing and dancing?"

Troy chuckles. "Yeah, well, what was I supposed to do? Let down our friends just because of my supposed reputation? Everyone seemed to have accepted the winter musicale just fine."

"True," Chad says, pulling out the necessary books for this lovely Friday at school. "Have you talked to Gabriella about this change?"

"No, that I haven't even ventured to do," Troy answers, sighing as he finds another picture slipped into his locker, this one on Gabriella' porch. "You know, this doesn't look like the others."

Chad comes over and looks over Troy's shoulder, studying the picture with Troy. "I'd agree," Chad says, looking at the quality of the picture. "I'd say amateur shot, totally. Do you think someone staked out Gabriella's house just to take that picture of them kissing?"

Troy looks at the couple embracing, at least what he could see of the grainy image. "I think so. In fact, I wouldn't put it past a certain cheerleader to start doing this."

"Jasmine," Chad agrees. "Could be man, she's all upset since Monday."

"Hmm," Troy responds, going back into his locker and pulling out his books for math. Chad and Troy make their way down the halls to get to math and along the way spot Gabriella and Taylor, who are walking to their Calculus class. Troy watches her from the distance they were at and sees sadness fill her body, carrying herself not upright and confident but kind of drawn in. "She looks heartbroken over something."

Chad, hearing what was probably meant to be Troy's internal thought agrees. "She's probably sad that Hunter left. Talk about long distance relationship and the start of trust issues."

Troy smacks his forehead. "Of course, how I could forget that he left last night? I think that I got so wrapped up in my own rehearsal yesterday I forgot until just now that she probably spent last night saying goodbye to him for a while. Poor Gabriella!"

Before Troy could venture over to where the girls were standing outside their classroom, the bell rings and he feels Chad gently push him into their own classroom. "Later man, there'll be time later," Chad reassures Troy as they sit down for another long math period.

----

The day finally ends for Gabriella with the bell ringing at the end of drama. She runs off to her locker to grab her playbook which she forgot and is about to head back when Jasmine steps into her path.

After looking Gabriella up and down, Jasmine smiles nastily realizing that Gabriella was all by herself. "So, the little innocent is finally all by herself. No Troy or Hunter to save her from this getting too nasty. What are you going to do Gabriella? Your friends aren't here to give you courage and your boys aren't here to defend you. In fact, there are no witnesses to what is about to go down," Jasmine says, taking a step closer to Gabriella.

"What, are you going to slap me? Beat me up?" Gabriella challenges, knowing this wasn't the smartest course of action with this girl. "The school bell just rang, there are still people around. If you want to do this anonymously, this isn't the time Jasmine."

Jasmine looks around and sees Gabriella is actually right. There were too many interested students watching the pair. "Another time then," Jasmine says turning away to walk away. Before she takes another step though she swings back around and slaps Gabriella's face, shocking Gabriella. Jasmine, seeing a red handprint appear on Gabriella's cheek smiles viciously. "We'll just let that be a taste for you as to what is to come."

Gabriella holds her cheek and watches as Jasmine leaves for the parking lot, fighting hard to hold back her tears, knowing other students were watching her. When she was sure Jasmine was gone, Gabriella picks up her bag and runs to the theater, taking a seat against a wall to hide her left profile that had the hand print mark. Ryan looks over curiously over at Gabriella when he notices she isn't in her normal spot but huddled in her seat on the side of the theater. 'Is she shying away from Troy, her new lead man?' he wonders, about to go over as he sees Troy approach her so he decides against it but watches the two from his seat.

"Hey, you okay?" Troy asks, concern in his blue eyes as he takes the seat next to Gabriella.

"I'm fine," Gabriella manages to get out, making sure to keep her head looking straight forward.

Troy studies Gabriella's profile and can tell she isn't. "Is it because we're singing together? I can see if Darbus can switch around me and Ryan or something," he offers, unsure what the problem was.

Gabriella feels a single tear fall down her cheek and quickly brushes it away, unable to hold the tears back any longer at the familiar sound of Troy's comforting voice. "No, that's not it."

"Then are you missing your boyfriend?" he asks, persisting with his questions.

"This isn't about Hunter," she responds. Knowing Troy would not leave her alone, she turns her face towards him, knowing Jasmine's handprint would be clearly seen in the light.

Troy looks at the mark on Gabriella's left side of her face and gasps, feeling his hand clench as he takes in the bright red mark. "Who did this?" Troy angrily asks.

"Our favorite cheerleader," Gabriella gets out. "Just happened in the halls."

"Oh Gabriella, I'm so sorry," he says, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her so her face nestled into his neck. He runs his fingers through her hair as she cries a little more, wishing he could do more than just hold her.

"Mr. Bolton and Ms. Montez, if you are done reuniting, I would like to start rehearsals if that seems to fit your schedule," Ms. Darbus' voice booms through the theater.

Troy looks over at the teacher and nods his understanding before looking down at Gabriella who has now pulled away and wipes her face. "Are you going to be okay to do this?"

Gabriella smiles at his concern. "I'm not going to let Jasmine rule my life. Let's do this," she says, borrowing one of the guys' favorite sayings.

He chuckles and grabs her hand, leading her up to the stage where Ryan and Sharpay see the mark on Gabriella's face for the first time.

"That witch!" Sharpay screams, knowing instantly that was Jasmine's work. "I swear the next time I see her…"

Ryan places a calming hand on his sister's shoulder. "Shh, calm down Sharpay. I don't think Gabriella needs us to put any more attention on her 'gift' from Jasmine. Let's just go through rehearsal and cross that later, okay?"

Sharpay nods, knowing Ryan was right as Gabriella and Troy had separated, going to their appropriate places to start the rehearsal, Ryan and Sharpay following suit.

They make it up until the second to final song without issues, leaving Gabriella and Troy to sing their final duet of the show together, the song that speaks of love found once again. Sharpay and Ryan watch from the sidelines as Kelsi eyes the pair as she starts the chords to the song.

Troy starts his verse first, unsure of how to handle the situation as they hadn't practiced this together at all. Gabriella is in the opposite corner, with her eyes closed, looking like she is trying to calm her nerves. He decides to make the move and crosses over, taking her right hand in his, startling her for sure, but forcing her to open her eyes and look back at him. As he finishes his verse, he waits nervously until she starts singing her verse, a smile finally gracing her lips as she gazes back at him.

They both get lost in the song, acting out the words, which draws them together into each other's arms. At the conclusion, Troy drops his head down and kisses Gabriella, on the lips, for the first time in weeks, feeling that wonderful feeling course through his body that he had missed so much. She is the first to pull away, taking a step back and smiling awkwardly at the rest of the cast and Ms. Darbus who are applauding.

"Excellent work you two! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were actually back together and in love," Ms. Darbus congratulates. "Now, we do have to map that out a little better later tonight but I think we have a very solid start. Final number everyone!"

Troy breathes deeply, still focusing on Gabriella who is getting a little uneasy under his gaze. "Come on Troy, we have to get ready for the last song!" she says, breaking that look on his face and replacing it with confusion.

He looks around and sees that in fact, the stage crew was setting up the stage for the last song and portion of the musicale, realizing that he had been staring down at Gabriella for quite some time, more than he intended. Troy nods his head and takes off for the opposite wing she is in to clear his mind a little.

They all come out, singing and dancing as they had previously learned. Troy somehow or another manages to pull it together from what crash course Ryan and some other students knew of the character's stuff yesterday, not looking too bad for his first real run through.

Ms. Darbus seems pleased enough as she stands and announces a fifteen minute break before heading into the costume room for picking out proper attire.

Seeing this as his chance, Troy approaches Gabriella before she could escape from the theater. "Gabriella, can we go talk somewhere?" he asks, feeling truly nervous.

Gabriella pauses, contemplating running away, but nods as the two walk out into the halls, taking a seat on the very bench that Troy broke up with her on out on the field. "The kiss?" she asks. "Is that what you want to talk about?"

'All right, she's more to the point now,' he thinks. "Gabriella, did that kiss, well, did that kiss mean anything?"

Wanting desperately to protect herself from any possible hurt from him she decides to lie. "The kiss? Troy, it's called acting, it's all part of the musicale."

"It is? I don't remember seeing it in the notes in the playbook," he says, challenging her claim. "I think you're just trying to hide from me what you really felt. You must have felt that connection between us again."

Unable to keep up with the charade, Gabriella slowly nods her head in agreement. "I did," she whispers back, not wanting to look Troy in the eyes. "It felt like no time had passed, that we were still in love like we were a few weeks ago."

"That has to mean something to you then Gabriella! Please, look within yourself and be honest," he pleads, knowing it was this moment or never. "It felt to me that it was a wakeup call, that our feelings haven't diminished as I maybe thought it would after all this time. Gabriella, I can't imagine myself with anyone other than you for the rest of my life."

Gabriella wipes the few tears coursing down her face, unable to hold them back. "Troy, I don't know what to tell you. I have been waiting for this moment, for you to realize all this, for so long but now that it's here, I can't seem to make myself take that step forward with you."

"What? Why?" he asks, feeling as if he was staring over the edge of a cliff.

She stares into his blue eyes finally, seeing his true concern and love for her radiating back and struggles with herself to hold true to her commitment. "First, you have a girlfriend who wouldn't be that understanding of you picking back up with your old flame," she says, hoping he would back off from that point.

Instead, she sees Troy shake his head. "Marlene and I never truly got to the relationship part. I ended it with her before it got to that point on Monday afternoon."

"Over her scheming with Jasmine?" she asks, surprised he wouldn't give Marlene the benefit of the doubt which is normally part of his nature.

"Well that was a tiny piece of it but it was mainly over the fact that it just didn't feel right. I really, really tried to date her, to see her as a new possible girlfriend, but I couldn't feel anything remotely close to what I feel when I even just think of you when I was with Marlene. She understands and agrees, it just wasn't the right fit," Troy explains, looking down at Gabriella and holding their gaze. "What else?"

"Second, there's my commitment to Hunter," Gabriella states. "Acting on these feelings now, it just wouldn't be right Troy."

Troy breaks the gaze they held for those few moments and looks away, not willing to let her see how much her answer hurt him. "So, that's the final answer to the test huh? I broke up with you so you could go and live out your life, find out what this was between you and Hollywood hunk Hunter Smith and you are choosing him over us."

Gabriella tries placing her hand on his shoulder but Troy jerks away, unable to bear her touch. "It's not like that Troy, I promise you," she says, taking a chance and stepping in front of him, forcing him to look at her again. "I still care for you the way that I did but I made a commitment to Hunter that I can't turn my back on. If I did, would you still look at me the same way, honestly? I don't think you would."

Troy searches Gabriella's face, thinking on what she said and reluctantly nods. "You're right, if you just went and broke up with him, I'd wonder who you have become over the weeks. It's already a shocker to see you being so bold with Jasmine. Maybe you really have gone out to find the true Gabriella Montez after all."

She smiles at that and gives Troy a big hug. "Can we do this musicale without it interfering with our friendship? No matter what happens, remember, I always told you that I wanted you to be in my life, boyfriend or best friend, I can't imagine life without you there by my side, one way or another."

"I feel the same way," Troy confesses, smiling a little back at Gabriella. "You are too amazing to not have in my life. I've honestly been lost not being able to really talk to you with everything that has been happening the past few weeks."

"I feel the same way, like we weren't really even giving ourselves the chance to be friends although, I think it would have been too awkward right away," Gabriella says. "Thank you for understanding Troy about Hunter, it means a lot."

"Sure," he replies, realizing that he was still struggling with the whole concept of her still choosing Hunter. "Well, we better get back inside. Are we going to be okay with this whole love thing in the musicale?"

Gabriella shrugs, starting to walk in. "I can handle it if you can. We just need to remember, it's acting is all, right?" she replies aloud while thinking, 'You are such a liar Gabriella, you know it is going to tear you apart to perform with Troy and not be with him. There's nothing else for it though.'

'Well, if that's what she wants,' Troy thinks, following her to the costume room. 'I guess I have to keep trying to hide my real feelings a little better.'


	19. Chapter 19

Ch. 19

It was lunchtime again on Monday, a Red Day, so the gang was all back at their usual table, eating together and enjoying the company. Well most of the gang anyway as Troy and Chad were missing, as well as Taylor and Gabriella.

"Anyone find it odd that the four of them are not here?" Kelsi asks, somewhat worried about them.

"Naw, maybe they are making up?" Jason suggests, trying to soothe his girlfriend's fears for their friends.

Sharpay shakes her head. "No way Jason, not after their talk during the rehearsal on Friday. The air around them was full of tension for the rest of the night but on Saturday when we were finishing the props they seemed to have put it aside to just be friends," Sharpay reveals, leaning her head on Zeke's shoulder so he would give her a piece of his brownie he made last night.

"That's true," Kelsi agrees. "They seem to have chalked everything up to being just friends."

"Is Gabriella still going out with Hunter then?" Martha asks, feeling way out of the loop. "I thought maybe with his departure for the movie that they were over but I guess they are doing a long distance thing maybe?"

Ryan shrugs his shoulders. "Who really knows but them? Well them and the tabloids," he answers. "There was another tabloid article circulating in my accounting class that was talking about Hunter and Gabriella, speculating on how much longer it would last. It kind of made me pity the two."

"What do you mean?" Zeke asks, surprised by the last part of Ryan's comment.

"I mean, the picture was clearly taken from when they were at the Montez household at some point, proving that Hunter and Gabriella are constantly watched by the press and paparazzi. Could you imagine trying to have a relationship with someone and having pictures being taken each step of the way? I would hate to be in that position," Ryan says, reminding everyone of the one factor no one talked about. "It's easy for us to watch Gabriella's love life and comment on the obvious good and bad but I don't think any of us really thought about how she must feel being under a microscope not only by her peers here at East High but by the world of Hunter Smith fans."

"Whoa, way deep there Ry," Sharpay replies. "Very true as well."

"Still want to be an acting queen?" Zeke asks.

Sharpay gives him a shocked look. "Of course! I crave attention, remember?"

The gang laughs at Sharpay who pouts, making Zeke laugh even harder. "Here, have the rest of the brownie," he offers, passing her the other half he brought to school.

Sharpay smiles brightly at him. "I knew there was a reason why I dated you!" she exclaims, taking a big bite into the brownie.

The rest of the group shakes their heads at the cuteness of the two, a few still wondering the whereabouts of the missing members.

----

"Gabriella, we can't hide here in the library forever," Taylor says, trying to reason with her best friend. "You're going to have to face Troy here at school under normal circumstances eventually. I thought you said this weekend behaving as just friends went well."

"It did," Gabriella answers, rereading the same page of her Calculus book for the eleventh time. "It's just, it was so tough Taylor, to see him and knowing what I do and not being able to act on these feelings. Argh!"

Taylor wraps a comforting arm around her. "All right, now you are adopting Troy's scream of frustration. Not to be one to restrain you but I think we better keep it quiet or we'll get kicked out from the look of the librarian," Taylor whispers.

"I just, I don't know what else to do here Taylor. I mean, he actually gave me the avenue in which to use to get things back to the way they used to be, and I blew it," Gabriella whispers back, frustrated with herself.

"If that's true, then why didn't you take it if that's what you really wanted? What about Hunter?" Taylor asks.

"Exactly," Gabriella responds. "Hunter and my commitment to him."

Taylor stares at her friend for a moment before saying, "Then I don't understand. I thought you wanted to be with Troy again?"

"I hate to be repetitive but exactly, that's my point. I'm confused Taylor, between my love for Troy and the commitment I made to Hunter. I'd normally choose Troy within a heartbeat but I can't bring myself to hurt Hunter. He's been so wonderful Taylor, being there for me whenever I needed him. That would be my worst betrayal," Gabriella answers, looking over at Taylor who can only nod her head. "Guess now you know why I'm such a confused mess."

"I do but you do still have to work with Troy on the musicale until you perform this weekend. Best get your 'only friends' attitude back in place otherwise you'll be absolutely miserable for the rest of the week!" Taylor responds.

Gabriella agrees and says, "I know, but I just couldn't tackle all the kids out there staring at us again. I guess I never really have gotten used to the whispers and stares."

Taylor laughs. "That describes normal high school days. What you have been going through in the last few weeks? That is better described as prime time reality television material! I think it would be called 'I'm dating a Hollywood star, so what?'," Taylor teases, glad to see Gabriella giggling with her.

"Oh, I can see the major ratings soar with each nasty confrontation with Jasmine," Gabriella contributes, laughing with Taylor. "Thanks Taylor for being here, once again for me. Seriously, I think I would have begged my mom for another transfer if it wasn't for you."

Taylor smiles at her friend, happy to see her genuinely smiling and goofy again. "Naw, if I wasn't here, you'd be best friends with Sharpay I'm sure. You know, all your dramatic tendencies and all."

"Hey!" Gabriella protests. Taylor laughs at her and links her arm through Gabriella's.

"Come on silly, let's get out to the cafeteria so we can eat and enjoy what's left of lunch!" Taylor exclaims as the two make their way out of the library to join their friends in the cafeteria.

----

"Troy, buddy, as much as I am starting to really appreciate the beauty up here with all the plants, we can't keep hiding up here from the gang, or even one girl in particular. I thought you told me that being friend with Gabriella was coming easy," Chad says, walking back over to his best friend. "What gives?"

Troy lets out a sigh and pulls up his legs onto the bench and leans his head on his knees. "Being friends with Gabriella has been great since Friday, we get along just like we used to but that's not what I'll be satisfied with I've realized. I want my Gabriella back including her devotion and love," Troy confesses. "I try to just take what I can get, friendship which she freely offers, but it's just so hard to not reach out and brush her hair back or to lean down and kiss her when she is standing right here."

Chad suddenly gets the whole picture. "I understand Troy but…" he starts before Troy interrupts him.

"No, you honestly don't, no offense," Troy says. "Until you have done what I have, sending your girlfriend, the love of your life, off into the arms of another guy, will you even begin to fathom the pain of realizing that was a mistake. I'm a hypocrite. I tell her a few weeks ago to go after Hunter, see what's there, and now that it's been a while and I want things the way they used to be, I expect her to come back and make my life better after everything I said. That's not exactly up and up."

"Well you do have a good point," Chad says. "And I understand you must be in total torture right now but Troy, things happen, life happens, all the time."

"Meaning?" Troy asks, turning his head in the direction of his friend.

"Hang in there, be there as her friend, and maybe, when the time is better, Gabriella will be your girl once again. Ploys and schemes to win her back aren't going to work. Sadly, all you can truly do right now is just wait it out and wait for the right moment. But in the meantime, just be the genuine Troy Bolton she fell for last year and it'll happen man," Chad explains. "You never know, all this 'acting in love' with you may help in the end."

"I don't know about Gabriella, but I am sure not acting," Troy mutters, making Chad smile. Troy notices and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Even broken up with her, Gabriella STILL has you whipped!" Chad exclaims, laughing as Troy attempts to throw a balled up piece of paper at him but misses as Chad dodges. "Nice try there Captain but man, may I say, your throw and aim with a paper ball is way worse than your basketball throw. Maybe just slightly worse than your golf swing? Seriously, I don't know why they keep you on that team!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad, I'm pretty good at both basketball and golf!" Troy defends. "Don't you start on me Danforth! Don't forget who got noticed while at Lava Springs this summer for his golf swing and basketball skills."

"Oh, you did not go there! Need I remind you how much you had to lose before we were able to get the real Troy Bolton grounded? See, I would never do that with all that attention," Chad retorts.

"Cause it's never going to happen!" Troy teases. "Of course you know I didn't mean any of that, just had to get you back is all."

Chad laughs. "I know man, don't worry. I think we're at the point where we can laugh about this summer, well, for the most part."

"Phew, that's good to know," Troy responds. "I guess we better head down there so I don't deprive you totally of time with your girlfriend."

"Mmm, Taylor. Now there's a real hottie to keep you awake at school," Chad thinks out loud.

Troy lets out a huge laugh. "And you call me WHIPPED! You better look in a mirror Danforth, I think cupid is coming after you this year!"

Chad glares at Troy and marches down the stairs before him, trying his best to ignore Troy's laughter all the way to the cafeteria.

----

"Hey guys," Gabriella greets, all smiles, as she sits down next to Kelsi with Taylor sitting next to her. "Had to get some research done and all."

"Right," Sharpay responds, not buying it for a second. "Spill it Gabriella."

"What are you talking about Sharpay?" Gabriella asks innocently. "Weren't we studying Taylor?"

"Of course we were. What else would we be doing Sharpay?" Taylor asks Sharpay, grinning as she turns the table on their new friend.

"Well, I have a few theories. Making out with your boys, plotting against Jasmine, rehearsing for the musicale, or there's the usual getting abducted by aliens theory," Sharpay supplies.

Gabriella laughs. "No, none of those were right, sorry Sharpay. Thanks for playing!"

Sharpay lets out a frustrated sound but smiles at Zeke as he passes her a sugar cookie.

"Seriously man, I think you put love drugs or something in those," Chad jokes as he and Troy reach the table and take seats. "Sharpay seems so much calmer once she has those. What's the secret ingredient man?"

"I'm never telling," Zeke answers with a grin. "That would be like giving away the end of a wonderful dramatic story. Spoils everything!"

"Umm, sure," Troy answers, looking over at Gabriella who is laughing with everyone else. "Speaking of dramatics, is it true? Do we really have rehearsals for six hours all week?"

"Yup, don't you remember last time? Oh, that's right, you weren't in the spring musicale with Ryan and me," Sharpay says, laughing wickedly at Troy's devastated look. "Upset you missed the spring one?"

"No, upset that I have to spend six hours with you!" Troy teases, causing another round of laughs.

"Hmph!" Sharpay replies, not dropping her pout even after Zeke wraps his left arm around her.

"Seriously, six hours just seems extreme to me but I guess that's theater right?" Troy says.

Gabriella smiles at him. "We'll work on making it as painless as possible, even if that means we lock the Drama Diva up," she assures him, not able to resist taking her own stab at Sharpay.

"Hey, no ganging up on me!" Sharpay whines, stamping her foot which is under the table and inadvertently stamping Zeke's foot.

"Oww!" he yells, pulling his leg out from under the table and rubbing his foot. "Man, did you really have to hurt me in the process?"

Sharpay frowns down at his foot he's rubbing. "Sorry Zeke, totally didn't mean to. Casualty in war and all," Sharpay says.

"See, as much as you think Sharpay changes, she never really does," Chad throws in, getting a high five from Ryan before they all resume eating their lunches.


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 20

"EEK! Opening night, opening night!" Gabriella screams as she enters the dressing room. Kelsi laughs at her from the piano where she was doing scales to warm up. "Oh Kelsi, you have to be nervous too! This musicale is definitely the best you have written so far!"

"Well, I wasn't nervous until you just said that!" Kelsi responds, pushing away the nerves again.

Troy pops his head in the dressing room and grins as he sees Gabriella dancing around. "Still a bundle of nerves before going in front of people and singing huh? You never change," Troy teases, seeing Gabriella smiling back at him.

She walks over to where Troy is standing in the doorway. "So I'm not used to being the center of attention unlike the Wildcat Superstar we have in our presence who is used to being fawned over by every girl and envied by every guy at East High and probably West High," Gabriella throws back at him.

Troy places his right hand over his heart, acting wounded. "You make me sound like such an arrogant, egotistical, and popular jock! What an insult to such a dedicated thespian," he responds back with laughter in his voice.

"At least you said it and not me," Gabriella says, laughing.

Troy takes a step closer to her and starts tickling her sides, causing her to giggle and attempt to squirm away. "TROOOY!" she whines, desperate to get away from his tickling fingers.

Kelsi watches the two friends as Gabriella keeps trying to get away from Troy's grasp as he continues to torture her. 'They really are one of the sweetest couples. Maybe one day they'll make it back to each other's arms,' Kelsi thinks, laughing herself as Gabriella has turned the tables on Troy and started tickling him back.

"Hey, that's not fair, stop!" he screams, only increasing the intensity of Gabriella's tickling. Troy manages to wrap his arms around Gabriella, effectively putting her tickling attempts to a stop but also pulling Gabriella close to his body. They start leaning in towards each other, centimeters apart, when Gabriella hears Kelsi let out a gasp.

Gabriella pulls away from Troy and spots Hunter over his shoulder. "Hunter!" she screams, breaking away from Troy's grasp and running into Hunter's open arms. "You made it!"

"I told you that I was going to try, remember?" Hunter reminds her, hugging Gabriella tightly. "I convinced Johnny we needed to make a stopover here in Albuquerque tonight before we go on to Toronto to start shooting."

"Hey Gabriella," Johnny greets. "Break a leg tonight!"

"Thanks," Gabriella responds. "How did negotiations go?"

"Perfect, everything is lined up and settled. Took some time because of some small details Johnny insisted we get ironed out but it's all good to go," Hunter says. He looks up from Gabriella and smiles as he sees Kelsi smiling back at him and Troy giving him a jealous look. "Hey guys, break a leg tonight!"

"Speaking of, you better go out and get some seats. It's actually a sold out night, believe it or not!" Gabriella exclaims excitedly.

Hunter kisses Gabriella's cheek and backs up. "I can believe it! A leading lady like you in the musicale, I wouldn't be surprised if all the nights were sold out and the fans demanded an encore performance. Go out there and get them Gabriella, tonight is your night!"

She smiles at him as he waves goodbye and vanishes with Johnny, putting back on his hat before exiting. Gabriella turns back to Troy and Kelsi, finding Troy is standing there with an unreadable expression. "Troy, you okay?" she asks, concerned.

"Of course. That must have been a surprise to have your boyfriend show up tonight. I'm glad he was able to make it and bring that smile to your face," Troy responds, pain in his voice.

"Troy, don't," Gabriella starts.

Troy shakes his head, stopping her. "It's all right, really Gabriella. Remember, we're just friends. Now, let's go out there, get into character, and give it the best performance, all right?"

Gabriella nods as she watches him head over to the guys' dressing room. Before she could allow herself to fall into the trap of dwelling on what just happened, she forces it behind her as she goes over to her corner where all the costumes are. She fingers the first costume and pulls it out, placing it on a desk nearby.

Kelsi approaches Gabriella and gives her a quick hug. "Don't worry Gabriella, everything is fine. Now go out there and sing your heart out!" Kelsi says, making Gabriella smile back.

"You too! I know all your composing and hard work will get recognized tonight for sure," Gabriella responds, making Kelsi blush. "Now go out there and play your heart out playmaker!"

Soon, the musicale starts and Gabriella finds herself standing next to Troy before their first entrance. She looks over and sees Troy is still tense. "I thought you weren't nervous," she says, causing Troy to look over at her.

"I'm not, I'm fine," he denies.

"Liar," she softly says. "Whatever it is, I know you will be fantastic tonight and, well, I should have said this earlier but thank you Troy for stepping in and taking on this role. I know you weren't all into the singing for a while but whenever I needed you, you always came through. Thank you."

Before she could have second thoughts, Gabriella leans up and kisses Troy on the cheek, kissing also the corner of his mouth by accident. Troy looks down at Gabriella and is about to pull her into his arms when Ryan says, "I wonder where they are!" which is their cue.

Troy and Gabriella enter from stage left, getting into character before stepping foot on stage. The rest of the musicale goes on without a hitch, the cast being delighted that the audience was so interactive. They laughed at all the jokes and seemed to also sober up and drop in mood during the dramatic parts.

Troy and Gabriella have managed to stay in character the entire time, never betraying that they were all mixed up in real life about each other. During their final duet together, each gets lost in the other, as it has been happening all week in rehearsals, and perform, staring only at each other.

Hunter watches from the audience with Johnny on his side, along with his parents and Christine. He nods as he sees Gabriella complete a difficult verse and finds himself smiling as he sees her smile brighten as Troy sings the complementing verse right after, taking her hand in his. 'They seem really happy together, like they really are in love and are beyond acting now. Maybe the time has come for me to do what I should have done a little while ago,' Hunter thinks to himself as Troy places his hand on Gabriella's cheek and leans down to kiss her. 'I can't allow her to continue on like we are if she's really cheating herself from true love with Troy.'

Gabriella raises herself up a little onto her toes to meet Troy half way as they share a kiss that convinces everyone in the theater that their characters have truly found love once again in each other. She pulls away and smiles up at Troy as he wraps his arm around her waist as they start into the next and final number.

They take their bows, and scream as the crowd continues to cheer, causing Sharpay, Ryan, Gabriella and Troy to go back out and take another bow. With that done, the entire cast jumps on stage and starts screaming, adrenaline running high. "We did it!" Ryan screams.

"Great job playmaker!" Troy says, congratulating Kelsi who just joins the group. "They loved the songs you composed!"

"No, they loved you guys singing!" Kelsi responds. "You guys were amazing! Promise Troy that you and Gabriella are going to do both winter and fall! You both are an inspiration to watch!"

Troy looks over at Gabriella who is smiling. "We'll think about it, how about that?" Troy offers.

"Good enough for now," Kelsi says.

"Way to go Wildcat!" Gabriella says, finally approaching Troy. "You were wonderful. Not too bad for learning everything in just over one week!"

"Hey, I had a great partner," he says, smiling down at her. "I think you're like a fine wine. Your talent and beauty only gets better with time."

Gabriella laughs and smacks Troy on the arm. "Did you really just use that cheesy pick up line on me? Eww, Troy Bolton I didn't know you knew any of those!"

He laughs as he brings Gabriella to him for a big hug. "What can I say? You bring out that hopeless romantic, although cheesy, side of me."

Hunter watches the two from the doorway, shaking his head at the innocence and sweetness of the moment. He was intending to just leave when Christine runs by him and onto the stage. "Gabriella, you were wonderful!" Christine screams, instantly being picked up by Gabriella. "You're so pretty."

Gabriella laughs at the little girl. "Well thank you Christine. We'll have to sing together the next time I see you okay?"

Christine nods excitedly. "Hunter has present for you," she announces, indicating to Gabriella that Hunter was around. She looks back over at Troy who nods his head and turns around to talk to Sharpay and Ryan who were now next to him.

Gabriella walks over to where Hunter and his parents are standing with Christine still in her arms. "Hi," she greets.

"Gabriella, your voice is amazing! You did such a wonderful job sweetie," Mrs. Smith says. "Hunter way undersold you."

"What?" Gabriella asks, turning her attention to Hunter.

Hunter puts one hand up in defense. "Hey, I said you had a voice of an angel. Evidently that's an insult now."

Laughing Gabriella returns the hugs of Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith, setting Christine down in the process. Hunter steps toward Gabriella and hands her the bouquet of two dozen mixed roses he was holding for her. "Congratulations Gabriella on a success, you were definitely very impressive out there," Hunter says, giving Gabriella a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Your love the two of you share really shows now."

That last part catches Gabriella off guard and she looks over at Hunter worriedly. Mrs. Montez comes backstage at that moment and sweeps her daughter up in a huge hug, presenting her with a mix of wildflowers with a single sunflower in the mix. "Gabriella, you did our family proud tonight! I don't think I've ever heard you sing better than you did tonight!"

"Thanks Mom," Gabriella returns, giving her mom another hug.

Johnny appears next to Gabriella next, offering his right hand which she shakes. "Excellent work Gabriella. Now, I know you may not be interested right now, but I would really like to get you into a recording studio sometime soon to do some voice tests. I remember you saying you weren't all that interested in a career in singing but after tonight and the launc party, it is my responsibility to ask you to give it a second thought. I'd love to represent you if you choose to go down that path," Johnny says, giving her one of his cards. "Seriously, think it over Gabriella. It is your senior year and all."

Gabriella grins, looking over at Hunter who smiles and shrugs. "Is this all for real?" she asks.

"Want me to pinch you?" Hunter offers, humor evident in his brown eyes. "I think we do need to talk though Gabriella, I think it's time." She looks at him, unsure if he means what she thinks she does. "Don't worry about it tonight. This is your night, along with Kelsi's, Sharpay's, Ryan's, and Troy's. Go out and have fun with them tonight at the after-show dinner and I'll call you tomorrow when I get to Toronto."

The smile that was on Gabriella's face all night since the end of the musicale drops off as she begins to worry. "Are you sure?" she asks.

"Yes, now put that smile back on Gabriella Montez, seriously!" Hunter directs. "It's for the best, I promise you. We better go, Christine needs to be put to bed and we have an early flight in the morning. Look out for my call in the afternoon before tomorrow night's show?"

"Sure," Gabriella says, trying her best to put a smile back on her face. She hugs everyone from the Smith family goodbye, along with her mother, and promises Johnny in parting that she would give his offer serious thought. Gabriella heads to the dressing room to change into the floral skirt and top she brought. Once done, she lets her hair down from the up do, picks up her bag with her stuff, along with her flowers, and heads out to join the rest of the cast in the hall.

"Ready to go?" Ryan asks, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I think we're going to Denny's. Nothing like late night grease, right?"

Gabriella laughs and nods her head, following Ryan to his car as Sharpay, Kelsi, and Troy pile into the back. "Let's party!" screams Sharpay from the back, just as Ryan rolls out of the parking lot.


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 21

"Ugh…" Gabriella lets out, rolling over and shutting her alarm clock off. She slowly opens her eyes and rubs them, trying to get some of the sleep out. As she lies there, she thinks back to the conversation she had with Hunter on Saturday afternoon over the phone…

_"Hunter, are you sure about this?" Gabriella asks, not believing what Hunter was saying._

_"Gabriella, I'm positive. This is the right thing to do, I can't hold you back the way that I have the past few weeks I've realized. It was great, no fantastic, while it lasted but I owe you at least this much," Hunter responds. "I'm going to make sure the right magazine gets a hold of this first to make sure it comes out with the least possible damage. I've already had my talk to Johnny about it all and he agrees."_

_'Johnny knows?' she thinks. "Great, so Johnny knows about this already. Hunter, seriously, __think__ about this. Please, I just want to make sure you are 100__ percent__ on this," Gabriella says into the phone._

_Without pausing Hunter replies, "I'm 110__ percent__ on this Gabriella. It's the right time, for both of us, absolutely."_

_Gabriella wipes away a stray tear and nods, forgetting Hunter could not see her. "All right then. Goodbye Hunter," she says, getting up and walking over to her purse to squeeze her good luck charm in her palm._

_"Break a leg tonight Gabriella, I know you'll do another phenomenal job. And listen, call me on Monday if things get too bad all right?" he speaks into his cell phone, ignoring one of his new co-stars who __is__ trying to get his attention. "You don't have to go through this alone."_

_"Thanks. Good luck out there," she responds, hanging up the phone and sitting back down on her bed. 'Oh, this is going to be fun,' she thinks as she tries to picture Monday morning at East High after word of this gets out._

'And now it is Monday, nowhere to run Gabriella,' she thinks to herself before getting up and preparing for the day. She takes extra care to make sure her light makeup looks very minimal and then chooses a pair of stylish jeans with a cute white top to go with it.

As 7:15 rolls around, Taylor pulls into the driveway and Gabriella gets in, busy already with what she was going to tell her friends. 'Taylor should know first,' she decides, turning her head towards her best friend.

"WHAT?!" exclaims Taylor. "You can't be serious!"

"Taylor, the road," Gabriella reminds her best friend as the car veers off the road, almost hitting the curb. "Just, take it in stride with me okay? It's going to be one of those attention and drama filled days, I can guarantee it but I wanted to make sure you heard this from me, so you can help me rumor control. Most importantly though, I owed it to you to tell you first."

"Wow, Gabriella, I never even suspected. I should have though, as your best friend. You kept dropping me hints didn't you?" Taylor asks, switching between paying attention to the road and Gabriella.

"Guilty. I couldn't tell you outright but I was hoping you'd catch on," Gabriella confesses.

"You must think of me as a dense idiot by now! You sure you want to keep me on the scholastic decathlon team?" questions Taylor as they pull into the parking lot.

"Duh," Gabriella responds. "It wouldn't be nearly as much fun without my best friend there."

Taylor smiles at Gabriella as the two get out and walk towards East High. "You sure you are ready for this?" Taylor asks just outside the doors.

"Now or never," Gabriella responds. The two walk in and stop as all the noise in the hall stops at her appearance. "Or maybe not."

Taylor makes sure to stick close to Gabriella as they go to her locker, finding a copy of the magazine Hunter had hinted about waiting in her locker. Gabriella shakes her head and hands it to Taylor as she gets out her books for Calculus and Physics. She shuts her locker just as a younger girl comes up to her.

"Gabriella, I loved you in the musicale, you did awesome," she says.

"Thanks," Gabriella responds, relieved it wasn't what she expected.

The girl continues on though. "I also wanted to ask you something. If you and Hunter Smith are still dating, how is it possible for him to be gay?"

Gabriella gives her a confused look. "What do you mean? Hunter and I aren't dating," Gabriella straightens out. "He is gay, he has a boyfriend."

Not sure what to think, the girl holds up another tabloid that has pictures of Hunter giving Gabriella the bouquet of roses from Friday night. "Then what gives?"

"I honestly don't know but I can tell you straight from me that Hunter and I are not an item," Gabriella reassures the girl, puzzled by the conflicting stories.

Taylor follows Gabriella as she walks to Taylor's locker so she could get her own books out. "Is it me or is everyone super confused?" Taylor asks, pulling out her books and closing her locker.

"No kidding, if I didn't know the real story I would be more than confused if I was into all this gossip," Gabriella says, looking up and down the hall to see everyone stare at her, some pitying, some envying, some just curious.

The two girls walk to Calculus and take their seats, finding students staring at them there as well. "I guess Hunter really did keep the news exclusive to that one magazine," Gabriella says, pointing to the cover of the magazine sitting on her desk. On the cover is a picture of Hunter Smith smiling at the camera with the news on the cover. There's a two page layout inside talking about his experience with a picture of him and Liam, his boyfriend of over a year. "That would cause the confusion in the halls for sure."

A light bulb goes on in Taylor's mind. "I bet that's why people are giving you mixed looks! Some of them think you used Hunter for his status and blackmailed him about exposing his secret, I know that's ridiculous but I wouldn't run it by some of these low-energy thinkers, while others feel bad for you, maybe thinking you don't know?"

"Make sense," Gabriella agrees. "Seriously though, me blackmail Hunter? That is absolutely nuts!"

"Hollywood has seen much worse darling," Taylor says. "You going to be okay?"

Gabriella nods. "No worries here. I'm here to learn and to do that, I just have to shut out the external noise."

"There's my girl," Taylor says, patting Gabriella's hand before turning around as class starts.

----

It was the last period of the day and Troy was absolutely thrilled when Ms. Darbus gave them all a free period, a sign of her pleasure that the fall musicale went off so well. He finds the courage and goes over to Gabriella who is talking with Kelsi in a corner of the room.

"Hey Gabriella," he greets.

She looks up at him warily. "Hi Troy," she returns. "Have a seat?"

Gratefully he takes it and sees Kelsi get up at the same time. "I better let you guys talk," she says before going over to talk to Ryan a short distance away.

"Lots going on today about you. The musicale reviews, but also all these conflicting stories. You doing all right?"

Gabriella nods, smiling a little at his concern. "I'm doing all right. Great thing you pick up from acting is how to block out everyone else out to focus on your own thing," she answers.

"Good point. So, you can totally tell me to get lost, but I was wondering how long you've known about Hunter being gay?" he asks, forcing himself to ask before it ate him up.

"I knew that was coming," Gabriella says, looking back at Troy. "I've known for quite some time, back to the night of his launch party…"

_"Listen Hunter," Gabriella starts__ only to find Hunter placing a finger on her lips to stop her from going forward. _

_"Gabriella, I have something to tell you first," he says, a range of emotions in his eyes.__ "I'm telling you this because I don't want to see you get hurt and because I trust you quite a bit already."_

_"What is it? You're scaring me," she says, searching his face for a hint._

_"Gabriella, I know I probably selfishly led you on a bit, thinking that I was into you and was interested in dating you. I did it because I wanted to find out more about you, to see if you were someone I could trust, and I found out I could. My tactics probably weren't the best but I needed to do it, I'm sorry," Hunter says._

_"Hunter, you're rambling," Gabriella points out._

_Hunter takes in a deep breath and smiles a little. "Guilty. Gabriella, what I'm trying to say is that, as much as I truly care for you and think you are an amazing woman, I can't date you."_

_"It's me, right?" Gabriella asks, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not good enough for anyone it seems."_

_"No, you don't understand me. You are way better than anything I could hope for in a girl but, well, I don't date girls," Hunter blurts out, causing Gabriella to quickly wipe away a few tears that have escaped and look up at him. "I see that you understand me finally."_

_"You're gay?" she asks. __"Really?"_

_Hunter nods his head. "I'd appreciate it if you kept it between us, I'm not __quite ready for everyone to know;__ even my agent Johnny__ doesn't know__. Neither do my parents. I have a boyfriend but we keep it very down low," he confesses. "I hope I haven't hurt you by any of this."_

_Gabriella shakes her head, tears gone and smiles at him. "I completely understand. You can't help who you are and who you love, I know that from experience. Sad thing is that I lost the love of my life because he thought I should explore this desire for me he thought you had."_

_"Guess that was partly my fault, sorry," he says, looking into her brown eyes. "I know I probably sent mixed signals, things that were planned but also not. I truly do admire you Gabriella. __One of the few teenage girls around who is real, genuine, and very sweet. __Innocent in many ways which is refreshing as well."_

_Gabriella lets out a laugh. "Thank you, I think."_

_"When you get back tomorrow night, you going to call up good old Troy and let him know I'm no threat to him so you can get back together?" Hunter asks._

_"I wish it was that easy Hunter," Gabriella confides. "He is adamant about me giving it a real try with you and won't consider taking me back if he doubts that I tried. Troy can be pretty stubborn and as much as I pleaded with him the day he broke up with me, he wouldn't accept anything less than his decision."_

_"Wow, sounds like a determined guy. I meant it though when I told you he was crazy for letting you go the other night. Troy really is certifiably nuts for letting you go like that. Are you sure then that he wouldn't take you back if you told him everything, even me being gay?" he asks, wanting to help Gabriella._

_"No, I don't think he would. Besides, he has basketball on the brain again and I don't want to interfere with that with his possible scholarships on the line this year," Gabriella responds._

_Hunter thinks for a few moments, wrapping his arm around Gabriella's shoulder and letting her rest her head on his shoulder in turn. After a little while, a plan forms in his head. "Gabriella__, what if we made everyone think__ we were a couple?" he suggests._

_"What?" Gabriella asks, picking her head up from his shoulder and looking at him. "What do you mean, make everyone think we are a couple?"_

_"Hear me out," he says, pleading for her to just listen. "You are sure that Troy won't take you back without him seeing you tried it with me or some other guy that's not him right? I have a problem myself which is more obvious here. Liam, my boyfriend, and I aren't ready for our relationship to be out in the news. We like our privacy, not to mention that Hollywood thinks I am a heterosexual heartthrob. What if we act like a couple for everyone? I'm not talking heavy making out sessions, just appearing together at events and at school? __Holding hands, flirting, the light stuff.__ What do you think?"_

_"I don't know Hunter, this could seriously backfire," Gabriella returns, never being one for deceitful acts. "Plus, I'm not that great of an actress."_

_Hunter pulls a pout look. "You mean to tell me that now you know that I'm gay that you don't find me cute?"_

_Gabriella rolls her eyes at his expression. "Of course I do but I don't think I can act like I'm in love with you. In truth, I didn't feel those sparks when we kissed like when I kiss Troy. I was going to actually tell you that I didn't think we were meant to date before you dropped your bombshell on me."_

_"Could be that you knew subconsciously," Hunter supplies. "So, what do you think? Think you could help me while I help you? I know it's a much bigger thing for you to act like my girlfriend to buy me and Liam some more time but I think I could help get you and Troy back together in some time as well."_

_Gabriella thinks for a moment and then slowly nods. "I think we can help each other, sure. So in essence, I'm going to be your beard right?"_

_Hunter sits back and stares at the girl next to him. "I'm impressed you know that term. Yes, you'll be my beard, my defense against any probing minds into my sexuality as well as my real relationship. You're positive you're in this 100 __percent__?"_

_"Yes, I am committing to you, here and now, I am in this for the long run. The way I figure it, I've lost Troy at this point so if I can help save another relationship by acting, it is the least I can do to __maybe __get some good karma back into my love life."_

_Hunter wraps Gabriella into a huge hug. "Thank you so much Gabriella, truly."_

_She pulls back and smiles at Hunter. "Hey, what are friends for? Of course, this is a little more than what I normally would do for my friends but I think the cause is well worth it. I know how nervous you must be about the tabloids getting wind of your relationship and your sexuality. Hollywood, from what I have heard, is not the most forgiving place to be in. I promise I won't say a word of any of this to anyone to make sure it really isn't going to leak out too. If we're going to do this, I want to make sure everyone buys into it."_

_"Glad to have you onboard Ms. Montez. All right, ready to get going?" he asks, standing up and offering Gabriella his hand._

_Gabriella places her hand in his and feels their finger__s__ intertwine. "Guess there is no turning back from here," she says, getting up from the bench and following him inside._

Troy stares at Gabriella for a few moments, trying to absorb what Gabriella had told him of that conversation that started it all. "So you did all this for me, this pretending to date Hunter even though you knew he had a boyfriend?" Troy asks. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Gabriella sighs, looking sadly at Troy. "I know you too well Troy. Had I gone to you the next day, as Hunter suggested, you would have still held me at arm's length away from you. You were so determined for some reason for us to have space. The thing that I want to make sure I bring up to you though is that after the kiss at the end of that duet, I knew he wasn't right, even before I knew Hunter was gay. As I told you on the day you ended things all those weeks ago, I have known for some time, especially since summer, that you are the one for me Troy."

"This is too much to take in Gabriella," Troy says, unable to just accept her story and not be hurt in some ways. "I have to wonder though, why did you keep telling me no, that we couldn't get back together if this is the truth of what was going on? You made it sound like you didn't want to break his heart."

"Think back to what I've told you Troy, each time we have had those conversations. I told you I had a commitment to him, which I did, and that life is not always what it seems, remember? I was trying to tell you, I was so careful with my words. It just wasn't my truth to tell," Gabriella says. "I couldn't tell you before Hunter was ready, I wouldn't ever dream of outing him to anyone without him being ready."

"So out of loyalty of your friendship, you let me remain miserable for weeks?"

"Troy, this isn't just about you and me. If it was, I would have been back in your arms the first time you started showing doubts about breaking up. I had a responsibility to Hunter to support him," Gabriella replies. "I had the opportunity one weekend to meet Liam and they were so cute together. I couldn't bring myself to settle on the suggestion of bailing on them before they were ready to come out for my own selfish reasons. I hope you can understand that."

Troy nods his head, not knowing what else to say. "I need some time to think about all this," he tells Gabriella, unable to look at her further.

"Troy…" Gabriella starts to say but stops as she slowly accepts the fact that Troy needed his space. She looks around and realizes the classroom is empty, even of Ms. Darbus. Gabriella looks up at the clock and sees that it was 15 minutes after school let out. They were so deep into their conversation they evidently missed everyone else leaving. "I guess there's nothing else I can say. I'll see you later," she says, whispering the last part as she grabs her bag and leaves Troy sitting at the desk by himself in the empty classroom.

----

"Hello?" Hunter says, answering his cell phone, seeing it was Gabriella. They had just taken a break from the scene they were filming for the movie for which he was grateful for now as he hears Gabriella's broken voice on the other line.

"Hunter…he…I don't think…we're not getting back together," Gabriella manages to get out. "Troy…he's upset…confused…can't blame him."

"Whoa, slow down Gabriella. You mean you told him everything and he's upset you didn't tell him earlier?" Hunter asks, unsure where the problem lay.

"Yes," she manages to reply, taking some deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Did he tell you that he doesn't want to get back together with you now in those exact words?" Hunter fishes.

"No," she says. "Just that he was confused and that he wasn't sure how he felt about everything. Hunter, I think I lost him for good this time."

"Gabriella, he's not stupid and he cares for you, a lot. The whole reason why I made the decision to come out this weekend was because I saw how happy you two were together, even when you were trying so hard to be just friends. People had to have been blind this weekend at the performances, at least Friday's, to not see the true, innocent love you share between the two of you. Just give him some time, he'll come around, I promise." Hunter hears Gabriella mumble something but only clearly hears the words Homecoming Dance. "Oh, that's this Friday isn't it?"

"Yup, and I'm planning on staying home," she replies. "I was saying that in a way I'm glad I'm not going to the dance. With all the whispering and gossip going around, it would just be another chance for me to be the focus of the gossip mill there as well."

"That bad today at school huh?" Hunter asks, feeling guilty that he couldn't have been there to help her through it.

"Not terrible but there was mass confusion because you only gave that one exclusive lead to the one magazine. All the tabloids had pictures from the musicale night printed about us together. No one in East High besides our friends knows what end is up," Gabriella explains.

Hunter lets out a laugh. "Hey, you have to admit, it feels pretty good to dupe that bunch there," he says. "Seriously though, I think you should go to Homecoming. It's a waste for a lovely lady to sit at home on a Friday night."

"And go stag? I think not," Gabriella says. "I'd rather sit home and watch movies with my mom."

"As much as I love your mom, I am not letting you do that. Listen, I'll arrange it to go back to Albuquerque to make sure you go. How does that sound? Gabriella Montez, will you be my date for East High's Homecoming Dance?" he asks, waiting for a few moments for her response.

"If you really think you can come, then yes, I would love to be at the center of the gossip mill with you on Friday night. Pick me up at 7?"

"It's a date!" Hunter confirms, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. 'Now, to get this entire plan in motion…' he thinks to himself before spotting the director of the movie and heading in his direction.


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 22

Taylor arrives at the Montez household around 5:30 to start getting ready for the Homecoming Dance with Gabriella. They take turns doing each other's hair, Gabriella's being put half up and half down while she puts Taylor's hair all the way up, sweeping all Taylor's hair in a slick up do. Before changing into their dresses, each applies their own makeup, Gabriella keeping hers more light and natural looking as usual.

Once done with that, Taylor helps Gabriella slip into the empire cut black dress with spaghetti straps, zipping her up as Gabriella once again admires the sparkles that are placed between layers of fabric of the knee-length skirt. Taylor ties the black ribbon that is mid-chest and smiles over Gabriella's shoulder. "You look wonderful, once again," she comments, seeing Gabriella grin back.

"Your turn!" Gabriella announces, turning Taylor around so she could help her into a short red strapless dress with a black ribbon around Taylor's middle. Once zipping her up, she turns Taylor around to face the mirror and smiles as Taylor grins. "Perfection!"

Taylor starts putting on her jewelry as Gabriella works on transferring things from her everyday purse to the purse she would be using for the night. Via the mirror, Taylor watches as Gabriella moves things, spotting a familiar item being put into tonight's purse. 'Is she really still carrying that around with her?' she wonders. Not wanting to cause any drama for her best friend tonight, she decides not to say anything about what she noticed.

The doorbell rings and both girls grin as they know the guys must be waiting for them downstairs. Gabriella makes a move to go out of her room but Taylor grabs her arm gently and shakes her head. "Wait, they have to wait, remember?" Taylor reminds Gabriella who reluctantly nods. "Are you disappointed that you aren't going tonight with Troy? Honestly?"

Gabriella takes her time in answering. "If I was honest, I'd say yes. I had hoped when everything was all done and over that he would be able to see what I did for the true reasons, that I wanted to help out a beautiful couple as well as a good friend. It seemed to me on Monday though that all Troy could see is that I held the truth from him and hurt him unnecessarily. I think sometime this week I resigned myself to the fact that I will always love Troy, no matter what, but that if he cannot accept what I did and who I am then maybe it wasn't meant to be after all," Gabriella concludes.

Taylor hugs Gabriella tightly, careful not to mess either of them up in the process. "It'll all work out Gabriella, I promise."

Gabriella returns the hug but eventually pulls away. "All right Taylor, I know you love keeping Chad in suspense but I think five minutes of being up here since they came is a bit on the side of pushing it."

Taylor laughs and nods her head, grabbing her purse. "Ready?"

Gabriella allows Taylor to walk down stairs first, smiling as she sees Chad very close to drooling as his mouth hangs open at the sight of his girlfriend. "Chad, I think a fly just flew into your mouth," Taylor kids, giggling as he snaps his mouth closed. He crosses over to her from the open doorway and presents her with a corsage of mixed white and red roses and carnations. Taylor turns to Mrs. Montez who is ready and picks up the boutonniere she bought for him of a single red rose and pins it on his suit.

"Gabriella, aren't you going to come down and greet me?" Hunter asks, reminding Gabriella that she had stopped mid-walk down her stairs to watch the couple who had just kissed.

Gabriella blushes and finishes walking down the stairs over to Hunter who smiles down at her warmly. "Sorry," she says, remaining a short distance away to take in the image of Hunter in a black suit with a white shirt and green tie. "Wait, I thought you told me you were wearing blue."

Hunter lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "Always ever the observant Gabriella. Aren't you going to give me a hug?"

She grins and steps towards him to give him a big hug. "Thank you for coming Hunter, all the way from Toronto so I wouldn't be a stag wallflower tonight. It means a lot."

He returns her hug and smiles over at Chad, giving him the signal with a wink. Chad leaves unnoticed by Gabriella momentarily and comes back with a single yellow rose which he hands to Hunter. Hunter steps away from Gabriella and looks down into her brown eyes. "Here, I guess I forgot this earlier," he says as he hands her the yellow rose which she puts up to her nose to smell. "Poor thing, it doesn't stand a chance to compare in beauty to you tonight or ever."

"Hunter!" Gabriella exclaims, feeling her face heat up even more, much to his delight. "Stop it!"

Chad grins over at the two with anticipation for what is about to happen next while Taylor is eyeing Hunter, knowing something was off tonight. Mrs. Montez was sitting back with the one remaining boutonniere in her one hand while also snapping pictures with her other.

"You know Gabriella, I am just getting so forgetful nowadays. I totally forgot about one other thing!" Hunter exclaims with a little too much mischief in his voice and in his eyes. Gabriella instantly gets suspicious.

"What else could you have possibly forgotten?" she asks, knowing she walked right into the set up.

"Him, your date," Hunter announces with a bigger grin on his face, stepping aside to reveal Troy who is standing there with a corsage box in his hands and wearing a blue tie. "Liam, you can come out now!"

Liam walks around Troy and joins Hunter in the living room of the Montez household, wrapping his arm around Hunter's waist as they both watch Gabriella and Troy just stare at each other, small smiles on their lips.

"Hi," Troy says, finally breaking the moment and walking into the Montez house for the first time in weeks. He closes the door and approaches Gabriella who is still standing in the same spot she was a few minutes ago. "Surprised?"

Gabriella slowly nods her head, unaware there was a tear sliding down her cheek which Troy reaches up a hand to brush away with his thumb, leaving his hand on the side of her face for a moment longer. He then takes her right hand in his as he slips on the corsage of two white roses with blue and yellow ribbons hanging onto her wrist, leaning down to kiss her hand when he is done. Gabriella smiles up at him, staring into his blue eyes, completely lost in the moment. Troy grins down at her, memorizing her face at this exact moment so he would remember how precious and gorgeous she looked, the love in her eyes.

After hearing Hunter cough rather loudly, Gabriella snaps out of her trance and blushes deeply as she sees everyone, her mother and her friends, were all staring at her. "All right, all right, show is over!" she says, trying to get them to stop watching her. She walks over to her mom who hands her the box with the boutonniere with a grin and a wink. Gabriella feels herself flush again as she pins the single white rose with a small blue and yellow ribbon at the base onto Troy's suit.

"Mrs. Montez, would you mind taking a few pictures of us before we leave?" Hunter asks, a grin remaining on his face.

"Of course Hunter! I was going to force you to stay put for pictures anyway. Now it seems like I'm not the overbearing mother here, thank you," Mrs. Montez replies.

The three couples get together for a few group pictures, Liam at one end with an arm around Hunter, who is next to a posed Gabriella and Troy, with Taylor and Chad also posing at the other end. The guys then bow out so the two girls could have their pictures together, followed by just the four guys, Liam stepping out for a few so it could be just Chad, Troy and Hunter. Once that pose was done, Chad steps away and drags Gabriella back over to Hunter and Troy, placing her in the middle so there could be a few shots of the three of them alone, the hopefully reunited couple and matchmaker. Before leaving, Mrs. Montez also insists on a few shots of Chad and Taylor alone, them with Gabriella and Troy joining, and lastly of Gabriella and Troy by themselves, facing each other, smiling at the camera and then at each other.

"All right lovebirds, we have to get going! The rest of the gang is meeting us there and will worry we bailed," Chad calls out, smiling as he gets a familiar glare from Troy.

"Gabriella, one more second," Mrs. Montez calls out to her daughter as the others depart with Troy waiting in the doorway. Mrs. Montez approaches her daughter and gives her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. "Make the most of tonight my darling. Take that leap of faith and I have a feeling you won't be disappointed."

Gabriella nods and smiles back at her mother. "Thank you for everything mom. Thank you for being there," she says, giving her mom one last hug before turning and taking Troy's offered hand as they walk to the limo and join the other two couples in the limo.

Once seated, the driver closes the door and Gabriella smiles as she feels Troy place his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. After enjoying his closeness for a few more moments, Gabriella turns her attention to Hunter and Liam who are sitting together, watching her and Troy. "All right, what gives?" she asks, directing her focus on Hunter who shrugs, trying to look innocent. "No way mister, innocent does not fit you. Now explain."

Hunter rolls his eyes and replies, "Can't you be satisfied with Troy being your date tonight? Geez, I bet Cinderella's fairy godmother didn't get this type of grief!"

"This is different and you know it. You had this planned since I talked to you on Monday didn't you?" she accuses.

"Guilty!" he answers. "Well sort of. After our conversation I realized how much I did want to come back for Homecoming so I could say that I had experienced at least one high school dance with my friends at East High. Also, it gave me a good avenue to bring Liam with me for everyone to see. We decided it was time after my announcement this past weekend. But, back to you. Besides wanting to be here for the fun, I wanted to also help you put back together what I and our plan had taken apart…you and Troy."

Gabriella looks over at Troy who she finds is still looking down at her with a serious but caring look. She nods and looks back at Hunter. "Go on please," she says.

"Well, I talked to my director who didn't have me scheduled for yesterday or today to shoot and he let me come back out here for the two days. I have to go back tomorrow morning. Anyway, back to the point, I came out here yesterday morning and found Troy in his usual spot after school, the gym, practicing with Chad, Zeke, and Jason. Believe me, getting this guy to talk to me was beyond difficult. Chad had to step in to get Troy to hear me out but I can't say that I blame him," Hunter explains. "Once I had Troy seated, and after apologizing from the bottom of my heart, I explained to him my intentions of helping the two of you get back together. Those details that happened after I will leave for him to fill in but nonetheless, here we are, with you having a hopefully wonderful surprise, despite your hatred for surprises."

Gabriella looks up at Troy who sees the questions in her eyes. "I'll fill you in more when the time is right Gabriella. Tonight, tonight I just want us to enjoy the dance, okay?" Troy says, kissing Gabriella's forehead.

"All right, I think I can do that," she replies with a smile.

Taylor watches from her seat next to Chad and sees there's still something not falling into place between the couple who seem happy enough to be in each other's arms. 'There's a lot more to be said,' Taylor thinks as Troy starts talking to Chad about basketball, much to Taylor's annoyance. 'God Chad, could you maybe let Troy spend some time with Gabriella?'

The limo pulls to a stop and Hunter exits first with Liam following. Chad then gets out, turning around to help Taylor step out. Next out is Troy who offers Gabriella both of his hands which she happily takes and steps out to join the others. They walk into the East High gym, Troy holding Gabriella's hand in his. The group looks around the gym for a few minutes before spotting Jason with Kelsi, Sharpay with Zeke, and Ryan who brought Martha as a friend, all around a tall table in the opposite corner.

"OH MY GOD!" Sharpay exclaims, seeing the three couples approaching. "HUNTER AND HIS BOYFRIEND ARE HERE! TROY AND GABRIELLA TOGETHER? I'm so going to faint!"

"Always the one for dramatics," Ryan says with a grin. "Hello everyone."

Gabriella smiles back at a shocked Sharpay before giving her and the rest of her friends a hug. Everyone looks really sharp and pretty tonight, not a single one of them being under or over dressed. Gabriella turns around to go back to Troy, realizing that behind him were a group of students all staring at their little group. "Uh oh, we have an audience," Gabriella announces.

Hunter takes a peek over his shoulder and laughs. "Never stops huh? This time, I think you are causing the stir Ms. Montez, not me," he responds, laughing more as she rolls her eyes.

"Well, I think it's time to take those professional pictures," Kelsi announces, earning nods from everyone.

They leave the gym to head into the cafeteria where the professional photographers were stationed. Each couple takes turns taking their individual ones, leaving Troy and Gabriella to be last. When they step up to the "set" the photographer positions them right in the middle of the starry sky with a fake Eiffel Tower in the background, a banister sitting low, trying to make it look like a balcony of some sort.

Troy murmurs, "You can't ever say I didn't take you to Paris," close to Gabriella's ear making her giggle.

They are positioned so that Gabriella's back is against Troy's front, Troy's arms wrapped around her waist and her arms over his, over his hands, intertwining their fingers as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The photographer snaps the picture and grins at the couple. "Probably the most charming couple tonight. Thank you," he says, letting them break their pose and join their friend at another background where they were all ready for a group picture.

"Seriously, took you long enough!" Chad complains as he stands with his arms around Taylor for the picture.

Taylor turns around and smacks him on his arm. "You make it sound like holding me is absolute torture!" she complains.

"No, I didn't mean that, really," Chad stumbles, knowing it was okay as Taylor and Gabriella giggle.

Troy leads Gabriella over to the open spot in the center, it being clear that the friends wanted them there. Taylor and Chad were next to them, Hunter and Liam on the other side. In two rows on their knees are Sharpay and Zeke, Kelsi and Jason, and Ryan with Martha. The photographer modifies the positions of a few people and then has Troy and Gabriella face each other, arms wrapped around each other. They all grin as he takes a few shots, making sure there would be one which was perfect for the group of teens. Once done, everyone gets up and heads back to the gym.

All the way back, Hunter grins as he watches Troy and Gabriella walk together, hands intertwined, never breaking. 'I think for once I might have done something well worth my efforts,' he thinks. He looks over at Liam and kisses him on the cheek.

"Ah, always the little romantic you. You're watching the couple ahead aren't you?" Liam responds, smiling at his boyfriend.

"Can't help it. She's probably one of my best friends in my short lifetime and he's the love of her life that I almost lost for her. I can't help but want the best for them," Hunter responds.

Liam gives Hunter a squeeze from his arm around Hunter's waist. "As do I and probably the rest of your friends here. I think we should give them their space tonight to let them do their thing. They aren't back together quite yet, I can tell Troy still has a lot of reservations, but they are enjoying the moment if that makes you feel any better."

Hunter nods his agreement as the two walk past the couple, Hunter giving them a grin, and joining Sharpay and Zeke who are up ahead.

"What was that about?" Troy asks, looking down at Gabriella.

Gabriella shrugs. "Just Hunter being Hunter," she replies with a small smile.

Seeing that they were left by themselves to walk back to the gym, Troy decides now may be a good time to talk. "Want to go walk out to the field?" he asks, knowing his spot, their spot, would probably be locked up.

"Sure," Gabriella replies, knowing that they needed to talk.

They walk over to an all too familiar bench to them now and sit down, Troy first making sure it wasn't wet before Gabriella sat down. She shivers a little in the cold wind blowing and Troy takes off his jacket to put it over her shoulder which she gratefully accepts. He wraps an arm around her back, rubbing her arm with his hand trying to warm her up.

After a few moments, Troy decides to be the one to start the conversation. "I guess we surprised you tonight huh?"

Gabriella looks over at Troy with a smile. "The best surprise I have ever had," she returns, meaning every word.

He nods with a smile. "I admit, I wasn't all for this plan after he told me about it yesterday. Not that I don't want to be with you. It's more like, there's so much to be said between us. When I saw Hunter today, even knowing he is no real threat to us anymore, I couldn't help but feel jealous all over again," Troy confesses, looking at Gabriella the whole time. "Even knowing what I know now, a part of me can't help but feel hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Hunter. We could have seen each other in secret or something!"

Gabriella shakes her head at this. "It wouldn't have worked that way Troy. There have been paparazzi following me, when I'm with Hunter or not, since almost the first time he took me to dinner. They would have seen you and me, and if what Hunter said to me is true, that he could see the deep feelings we share by just looking at us, it would have been blown. Yes, I did a lot of this for Hunter, but I did a lot of this for us. You were so dead set on us exploring the waters that I knew, even if I technically wasn't, I had to give you the time to do your own searching."

"Which left me with dating Marlene," he supplies.

"Right. Which, even after you found out about her and Jasmine plotting together, I don't think you regret," Gabriella says.

"I don't. My date with Marlene kind of proved to me that forcing this break, was good because I realized how there is no one else but you for me, but also realized how much you have ruined me for other girls. I'll never be able to feel the way I do for you and when I'm with you with anyone else Gabriella Montez, you have my heart and soul," Troy confesses, knowing he sounded like a sap again.

"Troy Bolton, you may be cheesy at times but I feel the same way. Yes, I wasn't ready to date Hunter right away but he was there for me as a friend. The only kiss we shared was pure accident but even then, it wasn't the same for me and I was going to tell him that the night we made our plan. When he suggested it to me, I couldn't bring myself to tell him no because he had been so sweet to me plus, I didn't feel there was any future for you and me at that time. Can I tell you that you are one stubborn lunkhead as Taylor would say?" Gabriella states, causing a smile to appear on Troy's face.

Troy kisses Gabriella's cheek and says, "I may be a 'stubborn lunkhead' but I am yours, Gabriella, whether you want me or not."

Gabriella smiles over at him, genuine warm emotions finally appearing in her eyes for the first time that night. "I want you Troy, regardless of everything that has happened. I made this decision a few weeks ago and I haven't regretted it since. You are the man for me."

He smiles brightly at her before tilting his head and kissing Gabriella softly on the lips. Sparks fly as they both feel the warm sensation traveling through their bodies. "As you are the woman for me Gabriella. You always will be," he says before leaning in and kissing her again.

They continue to kiss for a few moments longer before he feels a wetness on his cheek. He opens his eyes and pulls away, seeing a few tears slip from Gabriella's eyes. Before she can wipe them away, he gently brushes them aside, as well as the ones that were on his cheeks from her tears. "Do you have a tissue or something?" he asks.

"In my purse," Gabriella answers, trying to hold in the tears of happiness.

Troy opens the purse and gets out a tissue for her which she gratefully accepts, spotting in the process something shiny. He reaches for it and grins as he realizes it is the T necklace he gave her what seemed like years ago on the last day of their junior year. "You must have known about tonight's plan. You have the necklace," he states, looking over at Gabriella with a questioning look.

Gabriella finishes wiping her eyes and shakes her head, suddenly becoming shy with him. "No, I had no idea," she says as she pulls out a mirror from her purse and examines her eyes, sighing gratefully that her mascara hadn't run. 'Thank God for waterproof!'

"So, why do you have this in your purse?" Troy pushes, now fingering the T as the necklace sits in his hands.

"Because I've had it with me every day we weren't together, even after it was clear that you had given up on us. It's been in my pocket or my purse, everywhere I go. I used it not only as a good luck charm but as a reminder of my first true love, the one I felt had gotten away in truth, maybe never to be reunited," Gabriella slowly explains, watching Troy's expression.

Troy takes a few moments to absorb all this in, staring at the necklace in his hand. "Will you openly wear it now?" he asks, looking back up into her brown eyes, love shining from his blue ones.

Gabriella nods and turns around so he can place it back around her neck, just as he had that day after school. She turns back around and surprises him as she leans over and kisses Troy with all the emotions she felt at the moment which he happily returns. Suddenly, Troy hears a familiar mechanical sound and realizes that the sprinklers are coming up out of the ground to start spraying. "LET'S GO!" he yells, grabbing Gabriella's hand and her purse as he pulls her up and runs with her across the lawn, making it safely to outside the gym with only a few wet spots on both of them.

Both are laughing as they can't get over their mischief with water. "I think the sprinklers have it out for us," Troy exclaims, laughing.

"I'd have to second that," Gabriella returns, laughing too. "Always something that breaks the moment right?"

"All too often," Troy says. "I've waited so long for tonight Gabriella, whether it was conscious or not. I'm sorry for being so obtuse and breaking up with you all those weeks ago. It was my own stupidity and jealousy and I promise, never to do it again."

"Promise is a strong word," Gabriella returns. "I'd settle for I will never do it again. I don't want any more broken promises between us Troy. You never know, someday in the future, you may just get a fancy for Jasmine and break my heart again."

"Never," Troy responds. "There will be no one in my life but you Gabriella Montez. I love you."

Gabriella smiles back up at Troy. "I love you too," she sweetly returns, leaning up to meet him half way to share another kiss.

"There you are! We've been worried since you have been gone for so long!" Chad interrupts, stopping yet another kiss.

"Chad Danforth, I swear you have the worst timing ever!" Gabriella exclaims at her friend, just as Taylor comes out, evidently having tried to stop Chad.

"Sorry you two, you know how he is. I think Troy is kind of like his security blanket or something," Taylor apologizes, knowing without having seen it that Chad had interrupted the couple again. She looks at them while she has the chance and sees Gabriella and Troy in each other's embrace and grins, knowing that they were back together with no more tension or doubt.

"Yes Taylor, we are back together," Gabriella states, knowing what was going on in her best friend's head while fingering the necklace that was back around her neck. "Troy branded me his again."

"Hey, that's not what that's for," Troy defends. "Okay, maybe a little."

The four laugh as they head back inside the gym to join their friends, for an uneventful rest of the night full of fun, laughter, love, and memories.


	23. Chapter 23

Ch. 23

**_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ_**

Having dropped Gabriella off at her house a little after 1 AM, Troy groans as he flips over and shuts off his alarm, inwardly cursing himself for not turning his alarm off yesterday morning. 'Great, up at 6 AM on a Saturday morning,' he thinks to himself, knowing he would not be going back to sleep. 'Guess I'll go running.'

Troy gets out of bed, washes his face, and throws on a pair of shorts and a tank top, putting on his running shoes downstairs before heading out for a five mile run. He runs on a path that takes him past the Montez household so he takes a break and heads into the backyard to see if there was any chance that Gabriella was awake yet. Troy climbs his way up to her balcony and smiles as he sees Gabriella tucked into bed, sleeping peacefully, her hair curly all around her face. 'I'll come back later,' he thinks, climbing back down and starting up his run again.

When back at the Bolton household, he grabs a basketball in the backyard and starts running drills, making shots from different angles.

"Up early aren't you?" his dad calls out, stepping onto the court to join his son. "I would have thought you would sleep in after the late night you had. Did you accomplish what I think you set out to do?"

Troy grins and nods his head as he shoots a 3 pointer. "Yup, and more. I think Gabriella and I are back on the road to getting back to normal, thank God! She looked so beautiful last night Dad and I am just so touched that she carried my necklace I gave her all this time with her," Troy states.

"Really? She really must love you then. I think any girl who was that heartbroken as she must have been would have tossed it away or put it in a forgotten corner if she didn't really care for the boy. You are really lucky Troy, don't forget that," Coach Bolton says. "So why are you up so early?"

Bashfully Troy explains, "I forgot to turn my alarm off. I know, I'm stupid. Guess all the excitement last night had me daydreaming until I fell asleep and I forgot to hit the off button."

His dad lets out a heartfelt laugh. "That's my boy! At least you used your time wisely and worked out. You're going to be in spectacular shape this upcoming season for sure!"

"Hopefully it will all pay off so I can get some scholarships!"

"Any idea on what school you want to really go to?" Coach Bolton asks.

Troy thinks for a moment. "I know University of Albuquerque is interested after this summer but I also have some other interests. I don't want to go just for the basketball team but also what the academics offer," Troy responds.

"I can see Gabriella Montez is an even better influence on you than I thought before. Remind me to give her a big heartfelt thank you for taking your behind back," his dad jokes. "As for the colleges, take your time. You need to find out what you want to do before getting dazzled by the scholarships and other things you may get from a school."

"Trust me Dad, I learned that lesson this summer. Want to play a game before I shower? I have a nice reunion surprise for Gabriella planned out," Troy says.

Coach Bolton smiles and grabs the ball from Troy. "You're on! My ball first, I'm dad!"

Troy laughs and shakes his head as he starts playing a hard game with his dad for the next half an hour before heading back to his room to take a shower.

----

Gabriella slowly opens her eyes and smiles as she smells fresh bacon and blueberry muffins in the air. 'Those smell delicious!' she thinks, getting excited that her mom made breakfast this morning. She gets up and goes to her bathroom, washing her face and brushing out her tangled hair, chuckling as she sees her hair is still extra wavy from last night's hairdo. After doing the best she can with her hair, she exits the bathroom and stops in her tracks as she sees Troy sitting on her bed, a grin on his face, with a tray of breakfast for her.

"No fair, I wanted to wake you up with this," Troy says, putting the tray onto her bed and getting up to cross to her. "You look so sweet when you sleep."

"You watched me?" Gabriella asks, a bit embarrassed. "My hair was a mess!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I love you no matter what you look like," Troy responds, kissing her lightly on the lips before pressing his forehead against hers and putting both hands on the side of her face. He leans down and captures her lips in a passionate kiss, his tongue begging for entrance which she happily grants. After a little longer, Troy pulls away and reminds Gabriella of the breakfast for her on the bed.

Gabriella, still floating a little from that kiss, goes to her bed and sees eggs scrambled with cheese, bacon, and a few blueberry muffins with a glass of orange juice. "This looks wonderful. Did my mom make you a plate too?" she asks.

"Ouch, are you saying I couldn't pull that off myself?" Troy asks. "I, Troy Bolton, made you breakfast in bed with only a minor bit of help from your mom. I didn't know where things were in your kitchen so she helped point me in the right direction. The cooking was all my own though, swear!"

"Aww, Troy, that's so sweet!" Gabriella exclaims, leaning over the tray to give Troy a kiss. "Thank you."

"Just don't expect it every weekend, okay?" Troy jokes. "Let me go get my own plate. I came up here thinking you were still asleep. I was just going to leave it. I'll be right back."

Troy runs downstairs to get his plate, grinning as he sees Mrs. Montez enjoying one of the muffins. "Is my daughter finally up?" she asks, seeing Troy.

"Yes, and she is delighted. Thank you for letting me in and letting me have run of your kitchen for a while," Troy says, picking up his plate and the vase of mixed roses from the table he brought over as well as his breakfast supplies this morning.

"No problem. I'm just glad the two of you are back together," Mrs. Montez replies. "Gabriella definitely is lucky to have you Troy."

"No Mrs. Montez. I am lucky to have her," he answers before heading back up to Gabriella's room with his food and the vase. He enters and smiles as he sees Gabriella savoring a muffin. "Enjoying it?"

"Mmm, love it!" she exclaims, opening her eyes. "Oh my God! Breakfast and roses? You are so going to spoil me Bolton!"

"I think spoiling you Gabriella was the plan," he jokes, winking at her before placing the roses on her dresser and sitting down next to his girlfriend, eating his own breakfast.

After finishing her plate and drinking the rest of her juice, Gabriella looks over at Troy and giggles, seeing how very awake Troy was at just 10 in the morning on a Saturday.

"What?" he asks, seeing she was giggling AT him.

"You forgot to turn off your alarm last night didn't you?" Gabriella says, seeing she was right as soon as he blushes. "Aww, that's cute!"

"How is that cute?" Troy asks, embarrassed she knew the truth. "Besides, my forgetfulness earned you breakfast in your bedroom. It's so sad, you know me so well that you can read the truth without me even having to say anything. Gotta work on that or I am not going to manage many more surprises."

Gabriella laughs, seeing his boyish charm come back out. "I love you Troy Bolton, and I can't help but keep saying it over and over again. I don't want you ever to question it again!"

Troy puts his plate on top of hers and leans over to kiss her once more. "I won't, just as I hope you never have reason to doubt my sincerity and trust in us again. I love you Gabriella Montez. I do have more planned out for today though so go get ready!" he says, pulling back and picking up the tray on the bed. Troy kisses Gabriella one more time, unable to resist, and walks back downstairs to clean up.

A little later, Gabriella makes her way downstairs, dressed in a yellow and black sundress with her hair down. She had debated on what to wear but considering that Troy was just wearing skater shorts and a blue button up she figured she didn't have to get too fancy.

"Pretty as always," Troy greets, kissing Gabriella on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

"Where are we going?" she asks, letting Troy lead her out to his truck. She spies a picnic basket and a blanket in the truck's bed. "A picnic?"

Troy groans. "Why do you always insist on never being surprised and spoiling it early?" he asks. "Yes, we are going on a picnic but after breakfast, I am hoping you aren't hungry quite yet otherwise I didn't do my job!"

Gabriella smiles as she buckles her seatbelt. "I'm still full, don't worry. And, a picnic in the park sounds wonderful!"

"Like I'd be that predictable. We're going somewhere farther away," Troy responds, grinning as he guns the truck and drives to their destination.

Gabriella is left to wonder their destination as they drive out of Albuquerque and into the open terrain. Troy pulls off the main highway and onto a dirt road, driving a distance before stopping at the base of a hill. "Ready to hike a little?" he asks, looking at her shoes and nodding that she chose to wear flat sandals.

"I'm game," she says, taking his hand as she gets down from the truck. They walk up the hill, hands intertwined together, and stop at the top. Gabriella looks around and grins, enjoying the breathtaking view from there, even though it was not awfully high. "It's gorgeous."

Troy grins, happy Gabriella seems to like it, and says, "Well I hope it will continue to dazzle you as it does me when I spend time out here. Now you know my other secret spot."

Gabriella giggles as she joins Troy on the blanket he had spread out, putting her head on his shoulder. "I love it. Thank you for making another one of your spots into a new spot for us."

"Of course," Troy returns. "Your essence is in my entire being so even when I was here without you, I always felt you were sitting here, right next to me, as you are now. Now, we have the rest of the day to spend together, away from all the distractions and interruptions, to do whatever we want."

"Whatever?" Gabriella asks, mischief sparkling in her brown eyes. "Guess I can do this!"

Gabriella puts her hands to Troy's sides and starts tickling him so fast that Troy doesn't have time to defend himself, becoming her victim for a few minutes before capturing her and pinning her beneath him in an effort to stop her. Breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath, he lets go of Gabriella's hands and places his hands on each side of her head before leaning down and kissing a trail of kisses from her exposed shoulder, up her neck, to her mouth which she responds to. After a little while, Troy rolls from being over Gabriella to laying next to her on the blanket, bringing her back to him as they lay on the blanket enjoying the scenery and each other, neither having felt this peaceful and in love before.


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

Troy smiles at the surprise on Gabriella's face as she approaches his truck on Monday morning, at 7:15 AM, the usual time Taylor picks her up. "Good morning," she says through his driver's side window. "Sweet of you to stop by but Taylor usually picks me up."

"I know and she isn't coming today. She'll be back to her normal schedule tomorrow but I couldn't resist driving my love to school today," Troy says, leaning through the open window and kissing Gabriella. "Come on and get in. We don't want to be late do we?"

Gabriella laughs and gets into the truck from the passenger side, laughing at the look Troy has on his face. "Better cool it or everyone at school is going to know you're love struck again!" she exclaims, seeing the huge grin and sparkling blue eyes.

"Let them! I don't care who knows I'm whipped and am Gabriella Montez's guy. I am proud of it and you know they're all jealous anyway," he concludes. "We found our happily ever after finally and no one, and I mean no one, is going to take that away."

"Mmm, I wish that was true," she says, staring out the window but squeezing his right hand she was holding. "Life would be much simpler if we could get rid of all the interferences and drama."

"But, as you a very intelligent young woman reminded me once, without difficulties, life would be BORING!" he recites to her, laughing as she realizes it was her who said that to him over the summer, after their first kiss on the golf course when he officially apologized for his behavior.

_After sharing their first kiss, and a few after that, out on the golf course, getting soaking wet from the sprinklers, Gabriella and Troy had joined the rest of their friends in the lobby of Lava Springs with cups of hot chocolate they whipped up in the kitchen complete with marshmallows. They were all sitting around the fire, enjoying the warmth as they slowly started drying. _

_"That was crazy with the sprinklers but oh so much fun!" Martha exclaims, smiling at her friends who are all spread out on the couches and on the floor around the fire, a yellow towel around each of them. _

_"Shar, you didn't have anything to do with the sprinklers tonight did you?" Ryan asks, just wanting to make sure this was not her trick again._

_Sharpay gives him a dirty look. "Ry, I'm insulted," she claims. "I'd never do something as devious as that!"_

_Before Ryan could respond Chad steps in and says, "Of course you would! But, tonight since you were out there running around with us, I can't put the blame on you, especially as you are just as soaked as the rest of us."_

_The gang laughs, each looking at each other and trying to enjoy the company while it lasts._

_Feeling warmed up a bit more and the need to talk to Gabriella, Troy stands up and extends his hand down to her which she takes. They hear catcalls from their friends as they disappear, Taylor's voice rising __above__ the others to keep them quiet._

_Troy leads Gabriella through the kitchen and into the practice room where they first sang at the club together. Gabriella takes a seat at the piano and starts playing "Chopsticks" which Troy quickly picks up on and joins in, both laughing when the other slipped. Eventually they tire and end up looking at each other._

_Staring into Gabriella's eyes, Troy brushes a wet strand of hair that's hanging in front of her right ear back and says, "Listen, Gabriella, I don't know how to say this but I'm sorry. I promised you a summer you would never forget, which I guess I delivered on, but not the way I had envisioned it. I let my future dictate the choices I made today and I didn't realize the hurt and pain I was causing everyone around me in the process of getting to that future," he says. "Listening to you as you walked out of my life that night, it woke me up more effectively than a splash of cold water to the face. Chad getting up in my face before you leaving though should have clued me in but, I don't know, I didn't pick up on it until I thought I lost everything. I apologized to Chad briefly earlier and now I want to apologize to you. You are one of the most important people in my life and I can't, and I don't, want to live it without you by my side."_

_"Troy, I admit, I didn't like the Troy Bolton this summer because he wasn't you. I think you got so focused on doing well and meeting the right people that you simply forgot that the people today in your life also shape what your life will be. When you started missing dates and also blowing off the guys, I had a hard decision to make and I made it based on the fear that who you were this summer would be who you would be come the start of senior year," Gabriella replies. "I came to you tonight in hopes that the real Troy Bolton was back, the guy that I adore."_

_"Well, here I am. Hopefully life won't be such a difficult journey for us in the future," Troy says, wishing he and Gabriella would never have to go through so much turmoil again._

_"You know Troy, I think life would be pretty boring without the drama. It would be predictable and knowing you, you would tire of it pretty fast. You know I have always been a believer in the idea that things happen for a reason. I think this summer happened to make us stronger but to also allow both you and I to find who we are. Besides, now we know, no matter __what happens, we'll make it through, right?" Gabriella replies, hoping she would be right in her prediction._

_Troy wraps his arms around her and brings her still wet head to lean on his shoulder as he hugs her. "No matter what, you can bet I'll always be trying to be by your side and be the best man I can be for you."_

"Earth to Gabriella! Sweetie, we're here at school, where are you?" Troy teases, causing Gabriella to snap back to reality from her memory.

"Mmm, remembering the most romantic kiss ever," she replies with a smile.

"That better be our first kiss or Hunter is going to have some trouble flying up to Toronto," Troy jokes, causing Gabriella to laugh.

"Yes, it was our first kiss I am thinking of. I'm glad you can joke about Hunter now, I was afraid you were going to hate him forever," Gabriella replies.

Troy thinks for a second and responds saying, "I wish I could but I can't. He's one of your good or best friends now and he did go through quite a lot to make sure he put us on the best foot to try to start again. I can forgive him for the few weeks he stole from us being together as long as he doesn't do it again!"

Gabriella smiles as she takes his hand and gets out of the truck, grabbing her bag and walking in to East High, for the first time in a very long time, hand in hand with Troy. They make it to her locker and instead of dropping her off like he usually does in the morning after meeting her, Troy stays right by her side, watching as she pulls out her books and puts some in. Once done, they repeat the process but in reverse with Troy taking out his books and closing his locker. He leans his back on it and smiles over at Jason who is with Kelsi at her locker down at the other end and turns his attention back to his girlfriend who is leaning on the locker next to his at the moment.

"Going to miss me today?" he asks, knowing he was pushing his luck.

"Maybe. Depends, I might meet another cute boy today in class," she teases back.

"Now that isn't funny," Troy says, putting his hand on the locker next to her head and leaning down to kiss Gabriella firmly on the lips. "And neither was that but that I want you to remember that kiss and me for the rest of the day."

Gabriella giggles as she gently pushes him away. "Very smooth Bolton, really," she kids with a smile.

"Back together I see? Gabriella, you really are too forgiving," Jasmine's voice calls out as she gets closer. "After what he did with Marlene and the kiss he and I shared, I would think you would keep such a guy at least 2 miles away from you at all times. Then again, bouncing between Troy and Hunter must have been fun for yourself. I bet you felt stupid when you read in the tabloids that he was gay. Heard he broke up with you by texting you."

Gabriella returns Jasmine's glare and speaks up before Troy could interfere. "For your information, I've known about Hunter for a while and unlike you Ms. Gossip Queen, I don't believe everything I read in the tabloids and I don't sleep around. Whatever Troy and Marlene did is in the past and I am willing to bet that even you don't know what happened between the two of them, you're just making assumptions. Well I have news for you. Jealousy gets you absolutely nowhere so you may as well find a cure and stop trying to ruin our lives," Gabriella rants.

"You think you are so high and mighty don't you Gabriella? You think you're untouchable because you can get any guy you want and you can get our captain here to come crawling back on his knees for you. What would happen if you learned you could fall?" Jasmine asks. "Maybe we'll learn that answer pretty soon."

Before Gabriella could say anything more Jasmine walks off, today not being accompanied by anyone, leaving Gabriella staring. Gabriella actually jumps a little as Troy lays his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, I just wanted to see if you were all right," he apologizes.

"I'm fine," Gabriella says, looking from the crowd of students now whispering and talking back to Troy. "I guess finding myself this summer really gave me a backbone."

Troy shakes his head. "Now if you keep fighting girls like Jasmine all the time, what's there going to be left for me to do?" he kids, earning a reluctant smile from her.

"Play basketball?" she answers.

"Come here silly," Troy says, pulling her towards him and kissing her, fully, in front of the whole hall of students. He pulls away and looks down at her. "I love this new Gabriella just as much as I loved the old one. You have the confidence of a woman who knows what she wants and yet the sweetness of a girl who has just fallen in love. It's quite a sexy mix."

Gabriella swats at his arm and laughs. "Flattery will get you everywhere Bolton. Walk me to class?" she asks.

"With pleasure," he answers, offering his arm which she loops her hand through, while walking down the hall and leaving a wake of whispers from students, some of which had new respect for Gabriella and some who were happy to see the senior class' cutest couple were back together.

----

"Another fight I hear," Sharpay says, catching up with Gabriella and Taylor who are walking to the gang's lunch table. "You must be hanging out with me too much."

Gabriella laughs but Taylor jokes, "Is that what it is? No wonder she's starting to get blond streaks in her hair!"

"What, where?" Sharpay asks, only later realizing that Taylor was teasing her. "Ugh, smartie pants!"

The three laugh as they enter the cafeteria, noticing some of the students start to stare at the three of them. "Umm guys, are they all staring at me or did one of you do something notorious this morning that I don't know about?" Gabriella asks, fighting the urge to go back out of the cafeteria.

"Could be you after that fight with Jasmine or it could be you for making out publicly with Troy Bolton again. Take your pick!" Sharpay offers as she sits down next to Zeke.

"Lots of help Sharpay," Taylor mutters, sitting down next to Gabriella who had just taken a seat across from Sharpay. "Zeke, seriously, why do we have to put up with her?"

"Because I throw the best parties ever!" Sharpay says, ignoring the stab at her. She was getting used to taking them just as she dishes them out. "Speaking of, you are all invited to another Evans bash. My parents are conveniently leaving town and are leaving me and Ry by ourselves since we are now seniors."

"And you aren't taking advantage of it now any more than you did when you two were younger," Chad jokes as he and Troy arrive at the table and sit down next to their girlfriends.

"Hey," Troy greets Gabriella, kissing her cheek before diving into his lunch bag. "Rumors are flying about this morning, it's incredible."

"So I've heard," Gabriella responds none too enthusiastically. "I hate being the center of attention!"

Troy understands and wraps his left arm around her waist. "New Gabriella is more bold but doesn't like the attention. Kind of a quandary my dear," he says, earning a playful jab at the ribs from Gabriella's elbow.

"Anyways, back to me here," Sharpay interrupts. "Ry and I figured that the entire gang could spend the night as a sorta co-ed slumber party in our huge guest house out back. We'll have a boys room and a girls room for all things like changing and sleeping of course so no parents will be offended. Can I count all of you guys in?"

Nods are shared all around the table as everyone was present for Sharpay's last announcement, everyone saying they just had to ask their parents. "So it's just the gang for the party?" Jason asks.

"No, of course not! As much as I have come to like you all, I do have other friends, well sort of. I'm inviting our usual guest list. The after-party in the guest house is just for us though. I'd advise for everyone to show up 10-15 minutes early to dump your stuff in there because I'm going to lock it up just before the party starts. I have to have some control," Sharpay explains.

"Don't worry everyone, it'll be a lot of fun," Ryan reassures everyone. "Sharpay and I want to have at least one fantastic party this year and it wouldn't be if you weren't there."

"Want to go?" Troy asks Gabriella quietly. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

Gabriella looks back at Troy with a smile. "Of course we are going. Why wouldn't we?"

Troy shrugs his shoulders. "I just wanted to check with you. No assumptions will ever be made again on my end," he declares. "Besides, I think the cheerleaders like to go to the Evans bashes so you know who may be there."

"So what? Troy, I've got you back by my side and in my life now. Jasmine can either accept it or do what she needs to do but I'm not going to let her chase me from a party that my friends are throwing just because she may show up there. Remember, bolder Gabriella here," she responds, earning a chuckle from Troy.

"All right, all right. I was just checking, geez!" he defends, grinning when she leans over and kisses his cheek.

"I know, and that's why I love you so," she returns, smiling back at him.

"Go get a room!" Chad calls out with a grin, seeing the two back to their old practices.

"Maybe we will," Troy jokes, a fake serious tone in his voice as he gets up and grabs Gabriella's hand to pull her up but she surprises him as she jerks him back down to his seat. "Just kidding!"

Gabriella couldn't help but roll her eyes at this. "You never change Troy."

"And I never will as long as you are in my life," he promises, sharing in her smile before turning his attention back to his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.


	25. Chapter 25

Ch. 25

Taylor swings by the Montez household to pick up Gabriella at 6:30 to head over to the Evans estate for the big party on Saturday night. On the way, they also pick up Kelsi and Martha. The girls were leaving extra early to help Sharpay and Ryan set up things, not like the servants weren't doing most of it, but also to make sure everything was in the guesthouse before Sharpay locked up. The guys were out practicing until 7:00 with Coach Bolton but promised to be at the party by 8:15 as the party started at 8:30.

The gates to the estate were already thrown wide open with pink balloons and streamers on it indicating that the party was at this estate and not some of the neighboring ones. "She really does love pink doesn't she?" Martha comments, causing the three other girls to laugh.

Taylor parks the car and they all grab their stuff from the trunk to carry inside the Evans' house. "Hello!" greets Ryan who is just coming from the kitchen. "Shar told me to expect you guys. She is currently at the tanning salon working on her tan but I certainly appreciate the company. Why don't you girls go throw your stuff in the guest house, it's out in the back, past the tennis court and pool. You'll find we stocked the fridge with sodas and munchies if you girls get hungry before the party. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see to a few last minute things."

"Sure," Gabriella says, trying not to laugh too much at the ease of which Ryan described the location of the guest house. "I'm thinking that we may get lost here tonight."

Kelsi laughs. "Could be, but if you get lost with Troy, I doubt you'll be complaining," she says, shocking everyone.

"Kelsi! That was so not like you! Did you channel Sharpay for a second or something?" Taylor asks.

"Geez, I crack a joke and you guys go ballistic on me! I was just being silly," Kelsi defends.

"I like!" Gabriella exclaims, giving Kelsi a half hug since they had bags and sleeping bags and pillows in their grasps. They continue past the tennis court and pool to find a one story building big enough to be one of their houses.

"Seriously, this is the guest house?" Taylor asks, opening the front door.

Martha enters behind her and stops in her tracks, taking in the decorations. "All this art, it looks like it should be in the Louvre, not here in a guest house," she comments, continuing to walk in to appreciate some of the art pieces on the wall.

Kelsi's face brightens as she sees a piano in the living room. She walks over, lifting the cover, and runs her fingers over the keys. "This is beautiful," she says, admiring the craftsmanship of the piano. She plays a quick scales and becomes more in awe of the power of the piano. "Can I just stay here and compose tonight?"

Gabriella laughs. "If it was up to me I'd say yes in a heartbeat but I don't think Sharpay will approve. Besides, Jason will miss you," she says, earning a blush from Kelsi. "You two really are great together."

"Thanks," Kelsi returns. "You and Troy…you both are still so special to me and I think even more so to each other. I'm glad you made it through stronger than before."

"Thanks Kels," Gabriella replies. "Come on, let's go find this so called girls' room."

The two leave the living room and go down a hallway, following Taylor's and Martha's voices. They turn a corner and see the two girls in a large room, similarly decorated to the living room with fancy art and cream colored walls. "You sure this is it Taylor?" Gabriella asks.

"That's what the sign says, then again, it has a wink on it too," Taylor responds, indicating the sign on the door that Sharpay put up. Getting a grin on her face, Gabriella turns and goes back in the hall, looking for a similar sign for the boys. Of course, it is down the hall, past the private garden with a Jacuzzi, on the opposite side. She peeks her head in and sees Ryan must have set this room up as it is decked out with a large TV and video games belonging to the multiple game systems.

Taylor sticks her head in next to Gabriella and groans. "Oh, I could kill Ryan," she says, earning a questioning look from Gabriella. "Duh, with this set up we won't see the guys at all tonight, they may not even go to the party unless Sharpay bodily throws them out."

Understanding Gabriella laughs. "Come on, since the twins don't need our help we'll go get ourselves ready," she says, leading Taylor back to the girls' room to get ready.

At 8:15 they hear the boys come running through the hall, closing the door to their room. The girls had just finished putting their dresses on after doing their hair and makeup, admiring each other's dresses when the boys come knocking on the door. Martha goes to answer it and pretends to faint as she sees Troy, Chad and Jason standing on the threshold, dressed similarly in slacks and a buttoned up shirt. The Evans' parties were always more dressy, or so they were told.

Troy is the first to step over the imaginary line of the girls' room and grins as he sees Gabriella standing in front of him in a dark blue knee length dress with spaghetti straps. "Gorgeous," he says before taking her in his arms and kissing her. "You even smell good."

"Umm, that's called being clean!" Gabriella exclaims, laughing as he makes a face at her response.

They break apart and intertwine their fingers of their hands as they follow their friends out of the house to the pool, meeting a very sophisticatedly dressed Sharpay on the way. Sharpay stops to lock the doors to the guest house, pocketing the key in her purse, and joins the gang as they sit around the pool full of floating candles.

"Wow Sharpay, you and Ryan did a great job designing the layout and decorations tonight," Gabriella says, looking everywhere around her which is decorated. "You thought of everything didn't you?"

"We always try," Sharpay replies proudly. "Ryan and I have great event planners on staff too which helps."

Ryan chuckles as Sharpay continues talking about their event planners and their staff. 'She still doesn't understand how obnoxious she sounds when she does that,' he thinks, seeing the looks on the faces of their friends they were thinking the same thing.

"Shar, why don't we show them where the main dancing room is and where the refreshments are before the party starts?" Ryan suggests, wanting to get his sister to stop with that line of discussion.

"Sure," Sharpay happily agrees. "Everyone follow me."

The group follows Sharpay and Zeke into the mansion and are awed all over again by the grandeur that is the Evans' estate. The main dance room is a large room which looks to be a real ballroom with the hardwood floor. There is a DJ set up in the corner with his lights already spinning. As it turns out, the refreshment room is full of food the catering staff is in the process of laying out with two different bartenders.

"Are you sure we are at a house party and not a hotel?" Taylor jokes to Gabriella who just smiles. "Seriously, now I know why she thinks she can have everything…she can!"

Soon they start hearing voices travel through the house indicating that their host and hostess need to start greeting. The gang heads back to the ballroom and hang out as more of their classmates join them. Once the music starts really going with the popular songs, the girls are the first ones out there, Martha of course leading the way.

Troy, Chad, Jason, and Zeke are watching from the wall they were leaning against, watching the girls dance without them. "Seriously, are we going to stand here all night?" Jason asks. "They look like they are having so much fun!"

Chad looks over in disgust. "If you want to go, then go out there J. I for one am not dancing, no way no how," he states, making it sound final.

"Right…so if Taylor came over to you right now and begged you to go, swaying her hips the way she is right now, you would tell her no?" Troy challenges, watching as the girls start dancing a little bit more provocatively to Christina Aguilera's "Dirrrty" as it comes on over the speakers. He looks over to his right and sees a group of soccer buddies also eyeing the girls. "Hey Chad, don't look now but I think one of the soccer guys is heading Taylor's way."

Chad turns his head so fast Troy had to laugh. "Not funny Bolton!" Chad exclaims seeing it was a joke. Jason and Zeke join in, much to Chad's annoyance. "Whoa, wait, there is someone approaching the girls."

They watch as the soccer team captain approaches the girls, smiling, and asks Martha to dance with him. "You've got moves Martha, I never knew!" he adds, taking her hand and separating her out from the group so they could dance together.

"Go Martha, go Martha!" the three remaining girls start to chant as they watch Martha do her thing with Mike who seems to really be enjoying it.

"Wow, he dances really well," Taylor comments, watching Mike actually staying in tempo and matching Martha's moves. "Who knew he had it in him, yet another jock with a secret talent."

Gabriella laughs. "Now, if only we could get our own boyfriends out here!" she exclaims.

Taylor peeks over at the boys and sees them still watching her, Gabriella, and Kelsi dancing together. "Well, we could approach the other soccer players over there and get them to dance with us. I'm sure that would call the guys over faster than yelling fire," she conspires.

"No way, that would so get us into trouble," Kelsi protests.

"Speaking of trouble, there she is," Taylor replies, looking at the doorway. Gabriella and Kelsi both stop dancing as well to see Jasmine and three of her companions with her, surveying the room. "That looks like major drama brewing right there."

Gabriella eyes Jasmine warily, knowing Taylor was right just based on what Jasmine was wearing. Super short jean skirt and a red halter that showed off quite a bit, accompanied by black stilettos and huge silver hoop earrings. Just then Jasmine must have spotted Troy as she gets a satisfied smile on her face and starts walking over to where the four boys were talking basketball, having stopped watching the girls.

"Hi Troy, looking sexy tonight," Jasmine drawls in a loud voice.

"Quick, start dancing again," Taylor murmurs to Gabriella.

"What? Are you crazy?" Gabriella returns, not seeing the logic in this plan.

"Just do it! If you act like you don't notice or don't care she's not going to dally with him too much longer," Taylor explains quickly, getting Kelsi's help in getting Gabriella to dance again. The three girls move over to where Martha is dancing with Mike, effectively putting him in the middle of the girls.

Taylor makes sure that Gabriella has her back to the scene unfolding back at the wall, keeping tabs on the events as they happen every now and then when she feels Jasmine or her crew aren't looking.

"What do you want Jasmine?" Troy asks, very guarded. "I didn't even think you'd be let through the door tonight."

"Oh you are such a kidder Troy. I have connections, don't you forget it," Jasmine replies. "Want to dance?"

"No thanks," Troy manages to answer politely. "I actually am enjoying the view from right here."

Jasmine, thinking he was talking about her, poses a little bit more provocatively. "Is this better?" she asks.

"Actually, now you are blocking Gabriella, who I've been watching for quite some time. She's a very good dancer, isn't she?" he asks, knowing it would drive Jasmine nuts.

"Whatever," she replies. Seeing that Gabriella wasn't even paying them any attention, Jasmine leaves the room out of frustration.

Taylor, seeing Jasmine leave, lets out a sigh. "Thank God she finally left. Troy is back open if you want to drag him onto the dance floor," Taylor announces. "I don't think he'd come willingly."

"Wanna bet?" Gabriella answers with a mischievous look in her eyes. She turns around and faces Troy who is already staring at her dancing. She blows him a kiss and turns her hand around to crook a finger in a "come here" gesture. Troy stands his ground, shaking his head. Gabriella tries pouting but seeing that doesn't work, she results to her last plan of action. Gabriella shrugs her shoulders and walks back to Taylor and Kelsi, Taylor giving her an "I told you" look, and then over to Martha and Mike who are now dancing fairly close. She gets behind Mike and starts moving in rhythm behind him and before she knows it, Troy has his arms around her, pulling her farther away from Mike's backside.

Gabriella smiles as she hears Kelsi and Taylor crack up hysterically as Gabriella turns to look into Troy's blue eyes. "What?" she asks innocently, slowing down her dancing.

"That, Ms. Montez, was a desperate act and you know it," Troy answers, slowly trying to find the rhythm to dance along with Gabriella.

"Perhaps," she answers, "but I got my man in the end didn't I?"

Troy lets out a chuckle at this. "Yeah, I guess you did. But then again, when did you lose him?" he teases, drawing her into his arms as they start to move together.

Eventually Taylor and Kelsi are able to draw Chad and Jason out, Zeke joining them out of not wanting to be the only one standing along the wall. Sharpay and Ryan finally join the group after an hour and a half into the party, dancing right along with them, Ryan showing the guys a few new moves.

At around 2 AM, as previously scheduled, Sharpay's security staff starts rounding people up and escorting those who don't look like they can make it home out to a shuttle van that Ryan had hired to take people home. Once everyone is cleared from the house, Sharpay comes out to the pool area to find the rest of the gang lounging around the pool, waiting for her to unlock the guest house. "Oh, sorry, I forgot I was the one with the key," she apologizes, hurrying over to the house to unlock the door.

The couples make their way in, Gabriella and Troy being the last. As they approach the girls' room, Troy leans down and whispers, "Meet me in the private garden across the way when all you girls are settled." With that, he kisses her and heads down to the guys' room.

Once the door is closed, all the girls start kicking off their shoes and changing into their pajamas. Gabriella brought out her cloud print boxer and t-shirt set which she loved sleeping in because it was so soft and changes into it, letting her hair down right after. As she is brushing it, she sees Kelsi and Martha already dozing off in their sleeping bags so she decides to sit down on hers as Sharpay finishes changing in the bathroom and Taylor sets her sleeping bag up.

Just then there is a bunch of loud laughter coming from the guys' room, pricking the interest of Taylor and Gabriella both who sneak out into the hall and head to the room at the end. They peek in and burst into laughter as they see Ryan had convinced the guys to not play basketball on the game console but the dancing game with the dance mats. Currently it was Chad and Zeke who were trying to battle it out, both not doing too well.

Ryan hears the two giggling by the door and decides to catch them in the act. He goes out the other door and comes up behind them, poking both of them in their sides. When they jump around to see him he puts on the most serious look he can muster. "Enjoying the show ladies? You know, that's not free," he says before breaking into a smile at their shocked faces. "Come on in!"

Taylor and Gabriella follow Ryan in, wearing guilty looks as he explains that he found them spying on them. "Spying! We would never do that, would we Troy?" Chad jokes, acting outraged.

"Oh yeah, never!" Troy responds in a gruff voice.

"Sure," Taylor drawls. "We know you guys snuck off sometime during the party to play basketball out on the courts, at least part of the time you vanished tonight. Couldn't resist could ya?"

"See, you are making it a habit of spying on us!" Chad accuses. "Besides, it wasn't like you girls missed us when we were gone!"

"Not spying per say," Gabriella argues. "Just curiosity. We were debating on whether or not if you guys got lost in the Evans' mansion if you would ask for directions or not."

Ryan lets out a laugh at this, earning him a glare from the guys. "Hey, it's funny and so true," Ryan defends.

Eyeing Ryan and Gabriella, Jason gets a great idea. "I think Ryan and Gabriella should duke it out, see who the better dancer is for that," he suggests.

Ryan looks over at Gabriella with a questioning look. "You game Montez?" he asks.

"You are so done for Evans," she replies with a smile and a wink, surprising the friends in the room.

Ryan scrolls through the songs and picks a difficult one, knowing Gabriella had the skills to keep up. Both take their places on the mats, noticing how quiet it got as Zeke, Chad, Taylor, Troy, and also Sharpay took seats to watch this battle. As the music starts pumping, they start cheering for both Gabriella and Ryan, alternating support. They were all blown away by the perfect scores both of them were keeping, even as the song switched over changing the rhythms. After four more songs, Ryan looks over at Gabriella who looks just as tired as he feels.

"Draw?" he offers.

"Draw," she agrees, both stepping off the mats on the same time. Troy hands Gabriella a bottle of water as Sharpay hands one to her brother, respect in both of their eyes for the two dancers.

Ryan comes over and high fives Gabriella. "Great job out there Gab. You're always welcome to come out here for a rematch," he offers.

"Anytime," Gabriella says back, taking another drink of the water Troy gave her.

She sits down next to Troy at the edge of the couch in the room as Zeke pulls Jason up to try out the game with him. "Let's make a run for it," Troy whispers in Gabriella's ear as soon as the two boys start going at it, leaving the others to get busy cheering.

Gabriella follows Troy out the door they were sitting next to and down the hall until they reach the sliding glass door that leads to the private garden Troy had been talking about. "Troy, I can't see anything," Gabriella calls out, just as Troy fumbles and finds the matches he left out from earlier. He lights a few candles, amazing Gabriella once again with his planning.

"Candles and a sleeping bag, one sleeping bag. That's rather cozy," she comments, sitting down on the chaise where the sleeping bag is laid out with a pillow. "Romantic too."

Troy smiles as he sits down next to her, drawing her face to his for a tender kiss. "Thought I'd capitalize on this opportunity to spend the whole night with you under the stars. That okay with you?"

"More than okay," she answers as he gets up and opens the sleeping bag for her to crawl into, cuddling beside her once she gets settled. They lay there on their sides, Troy's arm wrapped around Gabriella's waist, staring at each other, letting their silence speak. Gabriella runs her finger along Troy's jaw, finding stubble was coming out of the usually smooth skin. He catches her eye and leans in, kissing her with his entire being, running his hand through her hair. Needing air, Troy pulls away and grins as he hears Gabriella let out a sigh of contentment. She opens her eyes and smiles.

"This was really sweet of you Troy," Gabriella says, feeling so swept away by this moment. "I have this feeling that I'm never going to forget tonight."

"As you shouldn't," Troy responds. "I want all of our moments together to be memories worth never forgetting."

Gabriella leans over and kisses Troy, which he happily returns, then pulls back, not wanting to get that hot and heavy with him. Knowing her thoughts, Troy helps guide Gabriella so she could flip over onto her other side in the sleeping bag, now resting her back to his chest. "I hope that's okay," he hears Gabriella murmur.

"Gabriella, you know it is," he replies, thinking back to their talk in the spring, before junior prom, when that had been a topic for many couples in their year. "I understand you wanting to wait and I respect you even more for it."

She turns her head to which Troy takes advantage of and kisses her on the lips then on her neck, smiling as he hears her sigh of contentment. Troy wraps his arms back around her waist, pulling her closer to him as they drift off into comfortable silence. Feeling sleep pull at him, he leans over to Gabriella's exposed right ear and whispers, "I love you Gabriella."

"I love you too Troy," she returns in a whisper, just before both drift to sleep, under the stars, wrapped together in love's embrace.


	26. Chapter 26

Ch. 26

Troy opens his eyes, blinking at the growing light around him and sees Gabriella sitting up in the sleeping bag they had shared the previous night, staring at the growing sunrise. She turns her head and smiles, leaning over to kiss him gently. "Good morning sweetie. Today was my turn to watch you sleep," Gabriella informs him with a smile.

He lets out a laugh and sits up to join her, adjusting the chaise with his right arm so the two are sitting up straight, supported by the chair. Troy wraps his left arm around Gabriella, feeling at one with her as she leans her head onto his left shoulder. They watch together as the sun fully rises, warming them a little with its natural light.

Troy uses his right hand to turn Gabriella's face towards him and smiles as he gazes down at her smiling face. The sun's rays play in her hair, extracting the brown and some red strands out more while also giving Gabriella a more angelic look. 'God, I really do love her,' Troy thinks to himself. 'This is my fourth chance with her, how sad is that to admit, and I know there may not be another. I vow to make the best of this and not to need another.' Troy leans down and kisses her gently at first and then more passionately as she responds.

"It feels so good, being free to be with you, spending the night with you in your arms, feeling secure and loved. I definitely enjoyed waking up in those same arms and seeing you sleeping peacefully next to me," Gabriella confesses. "I don't know how I'll sleep without you now. It'll feel so empty."

"I could always sneak in and out of your room every night," Troy jokes.

"Right…" Gabriella responds. "Best not put temptation in your path!"

Troy laughs. "Speaking of, we better get you into your own sleeping bag in the girls' room before they all wake up. I bet they can understand a late night alone but Sharpay will have a fit over an all nighter at her party!"

"Good point, let's go," Gabriella reluctantly says.

Troy slides out of the sleeping bag, shivering at the chill that meets his uncovered legs and arms since was wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts. Knowing Gabriella would be cold, he slides his arms under the sleeping bag with her in it and carries her into the house, placing her inside and going back out to get the candles which have long since burned out and his pillow. When Troy comes back inside, he closes the sliding door and grins as he sees Gabriella still standing where he placed her, clutching his sleeping bag to her body. "You are utterly adorable," Troy declares, placing the candles and pillow down, walking over to where she is standing. He wraps her into a huge hug and kisses her, feeling her smile against his lips. "Better let you go to your own 'designated girls' room. I'll see you in a few hours."

Gabriella smiles and nods, kissing him one last time before stepping out of his sleeping bag, handing it over to him, and entering the girls' room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

----

Around 11 AM, the entire gang is up and dressed, all hanging out in the living room of the guest house. As Gabriella had learned earlier in the girls' room, Sharpay and Taylor both had their own late night dates. The girls had just smiled at each other, none of them needing to say more to the others on the matter.

"Well, as much fun as this has been, I have to get home," Kelsi announces, being the first one to start the gang's departure from the Evans house. "I have to start composing some songs for Ms. Darbus for the winter musicale, she's obsessing about it being better than the fall."

"We better go too," Gabriella says. "Are you sure you don't need help cleaning up or anything?"

Sharpay scoffs. "Gabriella, we have servants for that," she informs her friend.

"Just offering!" Gabriella defends, laughing a little at Sharpay's attitude. "I have to get home and finish that Physics project due Wednesday."

"What, what day is this Wednesday?" Sharpay asks, surprising Gabriella.

"Umm, the 7th?" Gabriella guesses.

"OH MY GOD! MY FIRST SHOW! Ryan, you have to help me, I don't have a show concept yet!" Sharpay exclaims.

"Whoa, slow down Shar," Ryan says, trying to calm down his sister. "We'll figure something out. The weekly show will be a hit but I don't think anyone expects a killer show the first week."

"But I do!" Sharpay whines, looking between Zeke and Ryan for help. "You both better stay to help me!"

Zeke moves to stand next to Ryan. "We'll be here, don't worry Sharpay. I'll bake some cookies and we'll get through this and think of something," Zeke reassures her.

"Better get going," Chad says, not wanting to be caught in this new drama. "Troy, you taking me home?"

"I'll take you," Taylor volunteers. "Gabriella can go home with Troy. You don't mind Chad if I drop Martha and Kelsi off first do you?"

"Hey, can I get a ride with you too?" Jason asks. "I drove here with Zeke and well…"

"No worries," Taylor assures him. "Guess we'll see you later everyone!"

The gang leaves, everyone but Troy and Gabriella piling into Taylor's car, leaving the couple to drive home alone. Gabriella stares out the trucks window dreamily, a smile playing on her lips the entire way home. Troy pulls into the Montez driveway and kills the car, looking over lovingly at his girlfriend who finally turns her attention and smile back towards him.

"I could get used to these blissful moments," she murmurs as she watches him lean closer for a kiss which she happily returns.

"I second that," he adds, pulling away and unbuckling himself. "I better get your stuff so we can get you inside to work on that project."

Gabriella groans. "Did you have to remind me of that? I'm almost done but seriously, it's so boring compared to spending time with you," she complains.

"As much as I love to hear I am more interesting than Physics, I have to get you back on your true scholastic path or your mom and Taylor will both kill me. We both know you are on a great pace to earn a scholarship with your stellar GPA. I can't be the one to mess that up," Troy says, getting out of the car and opening her door for her as she gets out with his help. He turns to the bed of the truck and pulls out her bag and the sleeping bag she hardly used and carries it to the porch for her as she follows.

"Guess you're right," Gabriella reluctantly agrees. "Want to keep me company?"

Troy shakes his head. "I'm sorry Gabriella, I can't. I have to go meet…"

"The boys for practice, I know," Gabriella finishes for him, feeling sad that basketball was now an interfering factor for them again. "No worries, you'd have fallen asleep anyway."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," Troy responds, putting a smile on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, all right?"

"Sure," she agrees, tilting her head up for one last kiss before Troy heads back to his truck and drives off. 'Sigh, if only I didn't have this project I could have watched them practice, oh well,' she thinks to herself as she enters the house and closes the door behind her.

----

Seven hours later and Gabriella sits back excitedly, seeing her project complete. 'This should definitely get at least a B,' she thinks. It had been one of the most intense projects she had to work on in her entire academic career and she was nervous about how it would be received by her teacher but felt she did the best she could. 'I'll review it tomorrow or Tuesday night to make sure everything is perfect.'

With free time on her hands, Gabriella naturally migrates over to her stories file on her computer, clicking on her latest story. 'Now, where was I?' she wonders, rereading the last chapter she wrote. Just then the doorbell rings.

Mrs. Montez wasn't home so Gabriella lets out a groan at being interrupted but goes down the stairs to open the door. To her puzzlement, no one was on the steps but there was a manila envelope, the size of regular paper, with her name waiting for her. She picks it up and returns to her room, sitting on her bed and opening it.

Nothing in the world could have prepared Gabriella for what she saw in that envelope. She feels tears cloud her vision as she looks down at pictures meant to hurt her, ones that were taken from last night. Gabriella does the first thing that comes to her head and texts Troy.

_Meet me at the park, we need to talk._

Five minutes later, she gets a text back from Troy agreeing to meet her. Gabriella slides the pictures back in the envelope and puts them into her bag as she goes down the stairs and leaves the safety of her house to walk to the park nearby.

She takes a seat on a bench near the pond, smiling as she watches the kids playing for their last few minutes before being scooped up by parents as the area grows dark with the setting sun. 'How appropriate,' she thinks, now turning her attention to the sun and its path. 'Troy and I started today, in love and as happy as can be, only to have it end like this.'

"Gabriella, what's going on?" Troy worriedly asks as he approaches the bench and sits down next to her. "I tried calling your house right after the text but you were gone I guess."

"Troy," she starts but finds her voice cracking so she stops. Instead, she pulls out the envelope she had found waiting for her on her porch and hands it over to him. "Take a look."

Troy takes the package from her hands and opens it, looking down at pictures that would explain Gabriella's state. "Gabriella…" he starts, seeing tears well up in her eyes.

"Just don't. I, well I can't believe that…" she starts, surprising Troy with what she has to say next.


	27. Chapter 27

Ch. 27

Troy lets out a sigh on Monday morning, finding Gabriella had yet again dodged his attempt to talk to her this morning, glaring at him for dramatic effect and then leaving to go with Taylor to Calculus class.

"All right, what did you do now buddy? I'm sort of afraid to ask," Chad asks.

Troy turns his attention over to his best friend and explains the situation. "Gabriella got a mysterious package on her doorstep of pictures of Jasmine and me supposedly kissing. She flew off the handle last night and ended it. I'm a single man, yet again," Troy says, frustration in his voice. "I can't believe she doesn't trust me."

"For someone with the chance of becoming East High's valedictorian, Gabriella sure is stupid," Jasmine says, approaching Troy. "I'm sorry Troy, I tried to warn you."

Troy eyes Jasmine and slowly nods his head. "I should have listened. I can't believe she would believe those pictures though, they weren't even real, you know that," Troy says.

"Of course not, I wasn't anywhere near you at the party after you turned me down. Do you think that maybe she made it up to give her reason to break up with you again?" Jasmine suggests.

"That would be shocking but not out of the question," Troy admits. "I need something to take my mind off of her and her moodiness."

Jasmine drapes herself over Troy, smiling seductively. "I know just the thing, me. Meet me after practice today?"

Troy just nods his head as he sees a satisfied smile cross her face as she struts down the hall to their first class of the day. He looks over and sees Chad nod at him and the two head down the hall to follow Jasmine to Math class.

The next period was early lunch and Sharpay was appalled to find Jasmine sitting herself on Troy's lap at their table. "Excuse me, trying to eat her," she complains, earning a nasty glare from Jasmine.

"Troy, can you tell Sharpay to mind her own business?" Jasmine asks in a childlike voice. "She's hurting my feelings."

Troy gently moves Jasmine off his lap to the seat next to him as he wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about Sharpay Jasmine, you're just fine. Although, if I'm going to play well this year, I have to keep up my strength by eating so I can't have you in the way. I hope you understand," he says.

Jasmine nods and opens her bag to take her own food out. Martha, Jason and Sharpay all exchange looks as they see Jasmine chew her food while trying to flirt with Troy who was actually responding. 'Ugh, please!' Sharpay thinks to herself. 'This girl needs total lessons in manners and flirting!'

"So Troy, I guess those pictures Gabriella was telling me about this morning were actually true huh? You and Ms. Cheerleading Captain over here hooked up for the first time when you guys vanished from my party for a while?" Sharpay asks, looking at Jasmine, not Troy.

"Actually, Troy turned me down at the party but now that he doesn't have his whiney girlfriend around, he is totally open to my type of distractions, isn't that right?" Jasmine looks to Troy for confirmation. "I personally think that Gabriella's insecurity is finally showing through, she's always been the quiet vulnerable one."

Jason laughs. "Gabriella make up pictures of you and Troy kissing? I know I'm fairly slow but even I know that's stupid," he says.

Jasmine shrugs, trying to look innocent. "I don't know but I can tell you that those pictures are fakes, it's not me and Troy. Troy would never cheat on his girlfriend, he's proven that to me time and time again over the past few weeks."

"And what persistence you have," Martha mutters, not liking the image of the two sitting across the table from her and her two friends.

The five students eat the rest of their lunch until the bell rings. Sharpay is the first one up as she goes over to talk to another table real quick. As Troy is being dragged by Jasmine to their English class by the hand, he looks over at Sharpay and sees her give him a nod. He nods in return and follows Jasmine through the halls to their next class.

Troy approaches the last class of the day with a sense of apprehension, not knowing what would happen. He sits down in his normal seat, seeing Gabriella had changed seats with someone to be sitting clear across the room from him.

"Another fight?" Kelsi asks, sitting down next to Gabriella who shakes her head. Kelsi understanding that Gabriella did not want to talk about it any further just nods and opens her notebook to start writing on some music sheets she had in progress for the winter musicale.

Sharpay enters the room and observes the two sitting far apart and smirks. 'I think this period is starting to live up to its name for sure,' she thinks as she sees Gabriella's determination not to even look at Troy and his attempts to get her attention.

Before Troy could corner Gabriella, she is out the door as soon as the end of school bell rings, leaving him to walk to the gym and the boys' locker to get ready for practice with the entire team. The cheerleaders are practicing inside the gym as the clouds had started letting down rain, leaving the boys only able to safely run drills which was fine by them. Troy sneaks a glance over at the cheerleaders and smirks as he sees Jasmine and Marlene both looking over at him, along with some of the other cheerleaders. 'Guess word is going around I'm back on the market,' he thinks, throwing them a smile.

After the strenuous practice, Troy takes his time in the shower, enjoying the water washing away the sweat and dirt but not his thoughts of what was about to happen. He finishes, drying off and changing, noticing that all the guys on the team were already gone. 'Good,' he thinks as he leaves the locker room and the gym only to be instantly slammed up against the wall of the gym.

"What took you so long sexy?" Jasmine asks, pushing herself up against him. "I've been out here for 5 minutes, all alone!"

"Sorry, had to get clean," Troy explains, grinning at her. "Didn't want me to be all sweaty for this little meeting did you?"

"Of course not," Jasmine replies, replacing her pout with a seductive smile. "So you were talking about needing a distraction right?"

Before Troy could answer, he feels Jasmine's lips on his neck and her fingers starting to already run down his sides and back up under his shirt. Troy gently pushes her away to hold her out at arm's length. "Jasmine, come on, it doesn't have to be this way. You can drop the act, it's fine with me," he says, confusing her.

"What act? What do you mean?" Jasmine asks.

Troy gestures between his body and hers. "I heard rumors you were fast but I didn't think you'd do it out here, on school property," Troy answers. "What would your friends think if they ever found out you really did live up to that reputation? Don't you rule that team by respect?"

Jasmine things very quickly and shrugs her shoulders. "They know I am the way I am and would be behind me getting with you 100 percent. However, even if they didn't want this to happen, I'd tell them all to go mind their own business. I don't give a rat's behind what they think of me or what I do, they're nothing to me. You're all that matters," Jasmine purrs, getting closer to Troy again.

"So you would quit the squad for me?" he asks. "After everything you've done these 3+ years, you'd quit cheerleading in a heartbeat to just, as you say, get with me?"

"If that was the price to pay maybe but I doubt it will come to that. Are you asking me to?" Jasmine challenges.

"No, of course not," Troy answers immediately. "Is it possible for the rest of your squad to take away your captain status? I'm just wondering because I know it's possible for my basketball team."

Jasmine steps back for a moment and thinks. "I think they could if it was 100 percent vote but that would never happen. I have that team under my thumb, they do what I say, when I say it. No one on that team has back enough to stand up to me," she declares.

"Because you have ruled the squad for some time," Troy comments. "Look, I know you've been after me for a while, and I'm flattered, but I move slower than what you're after."

"Then what was all that in the hall this morning?" Jasmine demands.

Troy shrugs. "I was upset at Gabriella and needed someone to talk to. You offered and I thought that was what right now was about."

Jasmine gets a wicked look in her eyes. "Troy Bolton you are a liar. You knew what you were getting yourself into," Jasmine says, stepping closer to him and pressing herself up against him. "You're not going to leave me wanting will you? That would surely ruin your reputation as the ladies' man."

Seeing that Jasmine was pretty persistent on this topic Troy decides to appease her by suggesting, "All right, how about Wednesday night? Seriously, this just isn't my style but maybe Wednesday?"

"But today is Monday," Jasmine pouts. "Why not tomorrow?"

"Can't, basketball practice and then workout. Want to be dating the captain of the basketball captain and not a loser right?" Troy throws out, happy she accepts it.

"All right, Wednesday it is," she reluctantly agrees, backing off, but not before kissing him again on his neck, hoping to drive him crazy.

Troy gently pushes her away. "Good night Jasmine."

"Bye Troy, see you tomorrow but I'm really waiting until Wednesday," Jasmine purrs, sauntering out to the parking lot, leaving Troy wondering what he got himself into.

Troy shakes his head and pushes off the wall, heading back to the locker room for sometime before reemerging with another pair of sweats on to work out in the weight room to get some of the tension out of his body.

----

Ryan enters the Evans' mansion with Gabriella following behind him. "So, ready for the rematch?" he challenges, happy Gabriella had agreed to stop by the Evans' estate before heading home. His real motive was to distract her from what was going on in her life at the moment.

"Bring it on!" Gabriella exclaims, following Ryan into the game room of the mansion. "Have I mentioned how very crazy it is that you have a TV and speakers dedicated to each game console? I never would have imagined you as a gamer."

Ryan laughs at this. "I doubt anyone at school would believe you if you tried to tell them," he says. "I'm the gay thespian right? Sharpay's part-time now poodle?"

"No you aren't, not to the people who really care about you," Gabriella says, hugging Ryan quickly. "I hope you know that."

He nods. "I know, I just wish the rest of the school would get to know the real me instead of the stereotype," he says with a sigh.

"Don't we all," Gabriella adds. "I've had more than enough gossip and rumors spread about me to last until I'm 100 years old or older! Then again, this is what it is all about right? Going to high school?"

"Sad, but true," Ryan responds. "Anyway, enough of this self pity. Want to take off your shoes so we can get our dance on?"

Gabriella does just that, kicking off her heels and joining Ryan on the mats. Ryan goes right after the difficult levels as the two start dancing to the music, trying to match the computer and each other step for step. After about 30 minutes nonstop, the two drop to the ground laughing, as they both try to catch their breath.

"Gabriella, can I steal you away from Troy and make you my partner for the winter musicale? It's so much fun dancing with you," Ryan says, looking over at Gabriella who is now sitting up against a footstool. "I think Ms. Darbus is way undercapitalizing on your dancing skills."

Gabriella laughs. "Maybe, we'll see Ryan. I honestly don't know what Troy will want to do in the future," she says, sobering up.

Ryan gets up and gets a few bottles of water from the mini-fridge in the room and hands one as he sits down next to her. "You know, it seems for better or for worse, you and Troy are forever tied to each other. I don't know if either of you have realized it but the rest of us certainly have. I know this is still a rough time for you two but I think you'll make it through with flying colors," Ryan confides. "Otherwise, I'd be the first in line for your hand next Ms. Montez."

Gabriella giggles. "Thanks Ryan, you've always been very sweet to me, well after we started hanging out after the winter musicale and all. And don't worry about what everyone else thinks about you. It only matters what you think of yourself."

"Aww, you two sound like a cute little afterschool show," Sharpay greets them from the door. "Thanks Gabriella for the help for the show on Wednesday, I'm sure it is going to be a hit. Coming over to help tomorrow afternoon with all the final planning and editing right?"

"I'll be there," Gabriella says with a grin. "Actually, since I'm doing that, I better get going home so I can make the final adjustments on my Physics project. Ryan, can you take me?"

"Sure," he replies, getting up and giving Gabriella a hand up. "Wednesday is a big day for Sharpay."

"It's a big day for all of us," she murmurs back, picking up her bag and following Ryan out of the mansion and to his car.


	28. Chapter 28

Ch. 28

Gabriella smiles as she sees Hunter calling her just as she gets into Taylor's car on Wednesday morning. "Hey good looking, how's Toronto?" she asks in greeting.

"Good, we had a way early call time today but nothing I can't handle. I want to know about you! Are you really going to go through with this today?" Hunter asks, excitement in his voice.

"You bet I'm doing this today," she says into her cell phone and looking over at Taylor who is nodding her head. "It's way overdue that I do this!"

"All right, but be prepared for the aftermath. I can tell you that one won't go down without a fight," Hunter reminds her. "I want full details so you better call me missy after school."

"Yes sir," she jokingly responds.

Hunter chuckles. "All right Gabriella, seriously, good luck, you're going to need it today."

"Bye Hunter," she says, hanging up on the call. "He's so wired about today, you'd think he had a personal stake."

Taylor laughs at Gabriella. "Well he does, all of us do. Don't you realize what you are doing isn't just for yourself but for all of us? Hey, maybe you could mark this accomplishment on your resume for colleges. It's a big success story over adversity!"

"Right, I'm sure that Stanford will think more highly of me for being able to pull this off, that is if it works, God I hope it works," Gabriella rambles.

Taylor pulls into the parking lot and locks the car as she and Gabriella walk towards East High, knowing today was going to be a day they all remember.

----

Troy makes sure he drives to school on his own and shows up in math class early, taking his usual seat. He grins at Chad as he takes his seat next to Troy.

"Ready?" Chad asks.

Seeing Jasmine make her way into the classroom with her squad, grinning seductively over at Troy, he nods his head. "Now or never," he murmurs, praying to the high school guardians that this would work out.

The bell rings and the television in the classroom turns on, Sharpay's face filling the screen. "Good morning East High! Today is the first show of the brand new weekly student run broadcast East High is now doing. I'm your host, and if you don't know me, which you all should, I am Sharpay Evans. Today is a very special show though, not only because it is the start of something new but we have a very interesting topic to discuss with one of my good friends here to help me. May I introduce you to Ms. Gabriella Montez!" Sharpay starts the show with.

The camera pans over to Gabriella who is sitting on the other side of the desk and then pans out. "God, she looks nervous," Chad whispers over to Troy who can only agree.

"Today we are talking about the difference between a fraud and a scam. Gabriella is here to act as a resident expert, or at least as someone who has experienced both first hand. Gabriella?" Sharpay says, turning the reins over to her friend.

"Thank you Sharpay. Scams and frauds run abundant in our lives, sometimes we just don't classify them in those terms. In truth, scams and frauds are more present in our lives than we high school students like to think," Gabriella states. "First, I will present you with an example of a fraud. The pictures that are now flashing before you are meant to depict a certain captain of the cheerleader squad making out with a certain basketball captain at a party held this past weekend. Pretty cut and dry right? Not so."

Gabriella pauses as a few more pictures are flashed and then starts again. "If you look closely, that is indeed the cheerleading captain but not the basketball captain. In fact, it is a captain of an East High team but not of the basketball team. It is in fact the captain of East High's very own football team, dressed in very similar clothing and wearing a wig. Not so sure? We have first hand footage showing how this fraud was created."

The show cuts over to an amateur video that bounces around but shows Jasmine talking to Fred, the captain of the football team, pulling the blonde wig over his black hair and giving him a shirt to wear.

_"Now shut up and wear these, quick. We need to get this done before Troy notices this is missing," Jasmine says harshly, buttoning up the shirt to where Troy had it before he took his over shirt off to play basketball with his friends._

_Fred eyes Jasmine warily. "I don't know Jasmine, this seems pretty harsh. You're going to destroy Troy and Gabriella again."_

_"That's the point idiot! Now, are you going to pretend to be him and make out with me or do I have to tell your team about your secret? That' you're a vi…"_

_"Enough!" Fred interrupts her. He looks over at one of the cheerleaders present. "Let's just get this over with."_

Jasmine pulls Fred's head to her and the two make out until the video fades out. Troy looks over at Jasmine who seems to have lost that smile she was wearing earlier, turning a slight pink color.

"That is a fraud what you just witnessed, Fred posing to be Troy Bolton. Dressing like him but not necessarily doing something Troy would do," Gabriella explains. "Now, for an example of a scam. The word scam is defined as being a plan with intentions of deceiving. A good example is of the old pyramid schemes that were done before where people gave a company money expecting it back tenfold and never saw it again. That company scammed those victims. Now what you are about to see is a scam, and I do confess to being the ring leader of this one."

The show pans over to another grainy video, this time the real Troy Bolton with Jasmine in the hallways of East High. It shows Troy looking frustrated just after Gabriella blows him off and Jasmine sauntering over, offering her distractions. The scene changes to Jasmine eating lunch with Troy where she confesses that she and Troy didn't hook up at the party, that he in fact turned her down, but she had the guy now. After another scene change, the video shows Jasmine trying to get with Troy but him rebuffing her, but does not cut out until after Jasmine cuts down her squad.

Troy and Chad watch as Jasmine looks actually outraged. "This is not real everyone! This is just a ploy that Gabriella put together to make me look bad after I won her guy!" Jasmine stands up and screams, earning no sympathy from anyone in the room, including her squad.

"Actually Jasmine, you never had me," Troy says, getting up too. "It was all a scam, just as Gabriella just explained, to expose you for the Queen Bee you are who thinks you can destroy lives with deceit and violence. Now, right now, everyone knows who and what you are."

A round of applause erupts as soon as Troy is done, including the cheerleaders present.

Gabriella's voice comes back on the television set. "So as you can see from that last tape, this scam was successful, at least at this stage. I'm not here to tell you what to believe or what to think but I am here to show you the truth of what has been happening in East High for quite a while, before any of us were even born. Gossip, rumors, every whisper that is said in these halls usually are a result of a scam or a fraud of some shape or form. I can guarantee each of us have had our own fair share of all these things, after all we are in high school. What I challenge each of you to do though is to think twice before repeating a story you don't know firsthand or targeting someone in the hall because they are different from you. We're all here to learn but especially for us seniors, we are here to spend time with our friends and make lasting memories. Back to you Sharpay!"

"Thank you Gabriella," Sharpay says, the camera refocusing on just her. "I think what Gabriella just said and presented is all that needs to be said today. If you have any ideas or stories you'd like covered, please drop it off in the suggestion box set up in the main hall. Until next time East High!"

The television turns black as the teacher turns it off, looking over at Jasmine who is still standing there at her desk outraged. "Jasmine, please have a seat," the teacher says, eyeing the cheerleader until she finally sits but with her own dramatic pout.

Troy and Chad slap high fives and grin at each other, knowing their little scam had turned out perfectly. Seeing the teacher was moving on with the lessons, Troy lets his mind drift back to Sunday night in the park with Gabriella.

_"Gabriella, what's going on?" Troy worriedly asks as he approaches the bench and sits down next to her. "I tried calling your house right after the text but you were gone I guess."_

_"Troy," she starts but finds her voice cracking so she stops. Instead, she pulls out the envelope she had found waiting for her on her porch and hands it over to him. "Take a look."_

_Troy takes the package from her hands and opens it, looking down at pictures that would explain Gabriella's state. "Gabriella…" he starts, seeing tears well up in her eyes._

_"Just don't. I, well I can't believe t__hat," she starts, "Jasmine would go to these extremes to break us up."_

_Troy looks up suddenly, surprised by what she just said. "What?"_

_"I know it isn't you," she says, wiping away her tears of frustration. "You didn't think that did you?" _

_"Well, to be honest, with my luck lately," he starts, only to hear her laugh slightly. _

_Gabriella smiles a little over at Troy before leaning over and kissing him. "No more doubts, total trust, remember?" she gently reminds him. "Besides, this was a shady job. All these months we've been together and not, I've studied every inch of you, body and soul, and there's no way that profile is yours. I just can't figure out who the guy is."_

_Troy looks down at the pictures and squints at them examining them. "Fred," Troy murmurs. "I never thought he would get mixed up with Jasmine."_

_"Wow, that's Fred?" Gabriella asks, grabbing a picture and examining it closer. "Of course! Part of his black hair is poking out from the dirty blond wig she has him in. How is he wearing the exact shirt as you though?"_

_Troy slaps his forehead. "Seriously, I am the dumbest guy on Earth! I remember thinking it was weird when I found my shirt, which I had taken off to play basketball, in a different spot __completely when we were done. I at first thought I lost it but Zeke pointed out to me it was further down than I remembered."_

_"She borrowed your shirt for this? She's crazy!" Gabriella exclaims, shaking her head at the idea of how bold Jasmine was. _

_"So this is why you called me out right? No other shockers?" Troy asks. "I don't think I can handle anything more."_

_"Oh, and I'm having our first child," Gabriella adds, causing Troy to laugh with her._

_"Right. Unless we have a miracle on our hands we both know we have done nothing close to doing something that would leave us with that result. Maybe in like 10 years?" he responds. "What's the game plan?"_

_Gabriella smiles over at him. "You know this new Gabriella well to be expecting that. I think it's time that we all set Jasmine in her place and expose her true colors. Let me call Sharpay and put her on speaker," she says, taking her cell phone out and dialing._

_"Gabriella, I got your voicemail earlier, what's up?" Sharpay asks._

_"Troy and I here have a fantastic idea for your first show. Scams and frauds sound like an interesting topic for you?" Gabriella asks, keeping her eyes on Troy._

_"Not really, sounds all academic," Sharpay returns. "What's the twist?"_

_Gabriella smiles. "Funny you should ask that…"_

_Gabriella went on to explain her concept, to show how the pictures were a fraud and then to air the video tapes of Troy wooing Jasmine, sort of, and getting her to admit her honest thoughts, especially the truth about the pictures. "She will admit they aren't real because she knows Troy knows the truth. She can't claim they are to him so she is bound to slip that up," Gabriella deduces._

_"I knew I loved you for a reason," Troy murmurs, kissing Gabriella quickly with a grin on his face._

_"Hello! I'm still on the phone here!" Sharpay reminds them. "That all sounds great but how are we going to work on proving the fraud?"_

_"Maybe we can do a photo shop example or something, I'm not sure, I'm working on that one but I think we need to strike while this is hot which means that Troy and I are breaking up tonight so he can do his thing with Jasmine," Gabriella announces._

_"WHAT?" both Troy and Sharpay ask. _

_"That's the only way it is going to work, don't you see?" Gabriella explains. "She has to think she succeeded in breaking us up or she is going to know we are up to something. Jasmine is not stupid and I am in no way planning on underestimating that girl."_

_"Sounds delicious, I love it!" Sharpay explains. "I'll talk to Ryan about helping out with the editing. Do you think Chad or Taylor could help with the footage for tomorrow?"_

_"I'll call and ask, I'm sure they'll do it," Gabriella responds, looking at Troy who looks not so with the program. "Troy, come on, this is the only way. You have to really act like you like her."_

_Troy shakes his head. "Seriously, I never thought you would tell me to make the moves on another girl Gabriella. This is all so weird," he says._

_"But it's brilliant!" Sharpay exclaims over the phone. "Troy, you don't have to kiss her, in fact you better not kiss her, just put her in a false sense of victory."_

_"I guess," he agrees reluctantly. "The breakup is just an act for two days right? I don't want anything spinning out of control from this."_

_"Just an act, from Monday morning through the show on Wednesday morning, I promise. I'll still be here, waiting for you, after all is said and done," Gabriella promises._

_Troy nods his head. "I'm game, I'll call Chad and arrange everything. Can you call Taylor about the video camera?"_

_Gabriella agrees, hanging up with __Sharpay__ and calling Taylor to explain the plan briefly, what happened, and what they needed from her. Once the calls were made, Troy wraps Gabriella into a tight embrace before kissing her fiercely. When they separate, Gabriella gives him a curious look. "Had to give you one last embrace and kiss before acting all huffy at you."_

_Gabriella laughs before asking, "Take me home?"_

_"Of course," he says, leading her to his truck and driving her home. As they pull in, they notice someone standing on the porch. Gabriella gets out and sees Marlene, becoming instantly alert._

_Marlene smiles as she sees apprehension fill Gabriella's body language. "I come in peace, I swear," she says, approaching Gabriella. "I know you got delivered the pictures today from Jasmine, just as she has been delivering pictures and magazines to Troy all these past few weeks, and I want you to watch this tape before you make any judgments on your boyfriend here." _

_"I kind of think we figured out what happened already but I am interested in your video. Come on in, let's take a look," Gabriella says, unlocking her house and leading Marlene and __Troy into the living room. She pops the tape in and sees the set up of the pictures. "How did you get this?"_

_"Oh, I have friends still who are part of the in part of the squad. I got wind of this evil plan and thought I'd come prepared to help take her down this time," Marlene explains. "It's the least I could do after helping her before."_

_Troy smiles over at her. "Thank you Marlene, truly," he says, looking over at his friend._

_Gabriella gets up and gives Marlene a hug which she happily returns. "This means a lot, I appreciate your help. This is the missing piece Troy!"_

_"The missing piece?" Marlene asks._

_Gabriella looks over at Troy, silently asking if she should divulge and he nods his agreement. "Well, we have something cooked up for your captain," Gabriella says._

_"Whatever it is, count me in. I'll do whatever it takes to help get rid of her and her evil ways. I know a lot of the squad would help too," Marlene answers._

_"I think we could arrange for you to help but you can't say anything more of this to anyone else, okay? The more people that know, the more she is likely to find out. Can you promise your commitment to this and secrecy?" Gabriella asks._

_Without hesitation Marlene responds, "Absolutely!"_

_The two girls put their heads together and start planning Marlene's involvement, involving Troy here and there, and by the end of the night, their scam was officially complete._

"Troy, dude, snap out of it! The bell rang like three minutes ago and Jasmine sure left in a huff. We have to catch up to her!" Chad says, finally getting through to Troy who was caught up in the memory.

"Shoot! Let's go," Troy says, getting up and running out the door with Chad on his heels.

They run over to Gabriella's locker and both sigh in relief as Gabriella is standing there, safe, but definitely not alone. The show this morning seems to have earned Gabriella quite a bit of respect from her fellow classmates. She grins as she sees Troy and cuts through the crowd around her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him soundly. "I've missed you!" she exclaims.

Troy kisses her once more than responds, "Me too. Do you know how long of a shower and how hard I scrubbed after that kissing Jasmine did on my neck? Ugh!"

The people around them start laughing, reminding the couple they had an audience. Troy turns red as Gabriella blushes. "Walk me to Physics?" she asks, knowing he had lunch next.

"Absolutely!" he agrees enthusiastically, picking up Gabriella's project and walking down the hall with her.

----

Neither had really seen Jasmine much during the day as they avoided their normal routes including Troy eating in his spot. After the final bell for the day, Troy and Gabriella walk down the hall to Gabriella's locker, hands intertwined, but slow down as they see Jasmine waiting for them just before Gabriella's locker.

Jasmine sees the necklace back around Gabriella's neck after a two day hiatus and the couple holding hands. "Do you really think that had any effect whatsoever on me? That little stunt you pulled this morning?" Jasmine angrily asks.

Gabriella looks at Troy and silently tells him this was her battle. She takes a step towards Jasmine, noticing she still had some of the cheerleaders behind her. 'Interesting,' she thinks to herself before saying, "It wasn't a stunt, it was the truth. There's a difference, as I demonstrated this morning if you were paying attention. All I did was show what the truth was really, it's not my fault that your actions proved to be the lie."

"You really believe that after today that I am going to leave you and your little friends alone? Don't you forget, I'm the captain of the VARSITY CHEERLEADING SQUAD!" Jasmine yells. "I'm more popular and more powerful than you could ever hope to be."

"Popular?" Gabriella questions. "Really, that's interesting. See, to be truly popular, you must be well liked and most of the time respected by your peers. I don't see anyone around you who fits that description."

"What do you call these girls?" Jasmine asks, referring to the few girls standing behind her.

Gabriella shrugs. "Why don't you ask them yourself?"

Jasmine turns around and sees the girls backing away slowly from her. "Where are you going?" Jasmine demands.

"To join their new captain," Marlene says with a satisfied smirk on her face as she rounds the corner with the rest of the squad. "We all voted and you're off!"

"You can't do that!" Jasmine protests.

"Actually, we can and we have," Marlene informs her. "Coach knows and has approved. Your reign of terror on this squad and this school is over Jasmine. Face it, you've gotten beat at your own game and there's nothing more you can do about it."

Jasmine looks around her and sees she has not a single friend in the crowd, the only ones she thought she had were now against her, behind Marlene. "Argh!" she screams before tearing through the crowd of students who had gathered around. They all watch as she heads down the hall and out the doors, letting out a cheer as she leaves.

Marlene walks over to Gabriella. "You were very brave Gabriella," Marlene comments. "You stood up for yourself, your love, and every East High student here today. You'll always have my respect and my friendship."

Gabriella smiles and embraces Marlene. "I feel the same way about you."

"No hard feelings about Troy?" Marlene has to ask.

"None whatsoever, not after what you just helped us do," Gabriella says.

"All right squad, let's go hit the fields!" Marlene announces, steering her new squad to their first practice with her but not before throwing Gabriella a wink.

Gabriella feels a pair of arms wrap around her waist and grins, turning around and planting a deep kiss on Troy. "You okay?" he asks, looking into her brown eyes.

"Couldn't be better," Gabriella replies, a huge grin on her face as she leans her head on Troy's chest and lets go of a breath she realizes she had been holding in for the past few weeks.


	29. Chapter 29

Ch. 29

It has been a week and a half since their plan came off without a hitch and Troy was shocked to find that he was sitting on a private chartered plane with Gabriella by his side and Hunter in the seat in front of him. Jasmine had been at school every day since the morning show but hadn't caused anyone trouble, mostly because no one would listen to her now. Gabriella had actually started feeling guilty this past Monday but Troy reminded her of all the plots and ploys Jasmine had used against them and of the fact that Jasmine was not a bit sorry which helped ease the sympathy pains.

"You know Gabriella, Johnny was pretty happy with that vocal test you sent him last weekend," Hunter says, turning his head so he was looking at her. "I'm so proud that you even did it!"

Gabriella shrugs. "Hey, I faced my worst enemy at school, what better way to end my week than to take a shot at this so called singing career he talked about on last Saturday," she explains. "Hopefully he liked the song too, it's one that Kelsi composed and I wrote the lyrics to."

"Really?" Hunter asks intrigued. "He may be even more impressed tonight when you tell him. What better way to spend a Saturday night than with your friends, your boyfriend, and an aggressive agent in the Hollywood scene?"

Gabriella laughs and looks over at Troy who still seems awed to be sitting in the plane with Hunter and her, heading for a quick weekend to California for a party that Hunter insisted they come to as a break from all the drama. She reaches across the aisle and picks up his left hand with her right, intertwining the two as it rests on his armrest. Troy looks over and grins, something she was getting very used to once again.

Soon, they feel the plane start its descent and land smoothly, much to Gabriella's delight, and walked out to be greeted by Johnny.

"Hello everyone!" Johnny calls out as they near. He gives Hunter a hug first and then Gabriella, kissing her on the cheek. "And who is this handsome fellow?"

Gabriella grins and wraps her arm around Troy's waist and leans her head on his chest. "This, Johnny, is my boyfriend and my true love, Troy Bolton, also known as the Wildcat Superstar of East High," Gabriella introduces, giggling as she sees Troy blush.

"It's nice to meet you," Troy says, extending his right hand which Johnny happily shakes.

"Me too, you did fantastic in the musicale we watched the other week. Definitely untapped talent," Johnny murmurs, eyeing his possible new client and her boyfriend. "Well, I have the usual suites set up for you three. Any plans for today during the day?"

Hunter looks over at Gabriella who returns the look. "SHOPPING!" both exclaim, laughing as they hear Troy let out a loud, pained groan.

"I think majority has it, sorry Troy," Johnny says, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it, eventually."

"Thanks," Troy mumbles, getting into the SUV behind Gabriella. Soon they arrive at the hotel to the usual crowd for Hunter. He looks at the crowd and feels a bit of anxiety, even though they are all out there for Hunter and not him. "Dude, how do you do this every day?"

Hunter turns his attention to Troy just before exiting the SUV. "Just as you go to high school every day. One day at a time and hoping for the best," Hunter replies before getting out.

Gabriella and Troy wait for a few moments before getting the nod from Johnny that it was okay for them to go in. Troy gets out and blushes as he hears some screams at the sight of him. 'They must not realize I'm no one special,' he thinks as he helps Gabriella down, instantly holding her hand in his. They walk into the hotel and into the lobby. Johnny is waiting for them just as he had all those weeks ago on the day of the launch party for Hunter.

'Man, how Hollywood things have strangely become norm for me,' Gabriella thinks, seeing Troy taking in everything. Johnny hands out the keys to each of them.

"Thanks man," Hunter says. "Car will be ready in 1 hour for that shopping trip? Thought we could go to the Beverly and then maybe Rodeo and a few outlets?"

"Anything you want Hunter," Johnny says, chuckling as he sees the overwhelmed look on Troy's face. 'I wonder what has him so overwhelmed more…the screaming fans, the lavishness of the lobby, or just being back in the arms of the woman he loves.'

Gabriella, Troy, and Hunter make it into the elevator on their way up to the suites, neither saying a word. Troy and Hunter go to Hunter's assigned room but when Troy tries his key, it doesn't work. Hunter tries his key and the door opens right up. "Umm Troy, why don't you try Gabriella's door?" Hunter suggests, a knowing smile on his face.

Troy shrugs and goes over to Gabriella's door before she had the chance to open it. "Let me see if this works," he explains as Troy swipes his key and finds it works. He hears Hunter laugh down the hall before he goes into his own suite. Troy looks down at his girlfriend. "I guess we're sharing a suite? That okay?"

"Are you kidding? I asked Johnny to let us, especially since Hunter wants his own space with Liam and well, it would be such a waste to have you in your own suite," Gabriella reveals with a mischievous smile. "Besides, I couldn't resist the opportunity to sleep tonight in your arms again, like at Sharpay's and Ryan's party, now could I?"

Troy follows Gabriella in and lets the door close behind him. "You have become quite the little vixen lately Gabriella! What am I going to do with you?" he teases, pulling her back into his arms and kissing her passionately.

When she pulls away, she grins up. "Admit it, you like the little spice that I bring out of me every once in a while," she returns.

"You mean the guts to pull off that big ploy to put Jasmine in her place finally, the loyalty and fight you showed in your dedication to Hunter's plan, your desire to speak more of your mind, and your passionate love for me? Oh Gabriella, I love all of it, just because that's who you are. I'll always love every part of you," Troy confesses, smiling back as Gabriella gets a very dreamy look on her face.

"Just as I'm crazy for loving the crazy Wildcat Superstar," Gabriella returns. "But the Troy I love is the man who was very persistent in us getting back together, trying different methods like the talks but also giving me space, the man who can be my best friend as well as the best boyfriend, who sees the best in people, even when he shouldn't, and the man who really loves me for me, nothing more and nothing less."

Troy grins down at her as she smiles up at him, both leaning in for another shared kiss, never wanting to be without the other again. Soon the phone rings and Gabriella rolls her eyes. "Distractions," she mutters, causing Troy to laugh as she answers the phone.

"Hello?" she answers, taking a seat on the back of the couch while Troy decides to put their bags away in the bedroom. "Wait, what? How did that happen? Johnny, that was just a test, come on! All right, I understand. Thank you."

"What was that all about?" Troy asks, coming back out to the living room and wrapping his arms around Gabriella. "You look worried."

"That was Johnny," Gabriella explains. "He just got word that my voice test of that song Kelsi and I wrote got out and is playing on some internet site. Johnny says there is nothing we can do about it, he's trying to shut it down but now that it is out there, it could be everywhere soon. He advised me to think quickly before tonight to decide if I want to chalk this all up to just playing in the studio or starting on a career."

"Wow," Troy says. "That's pretty huge. What do you want to do?"

"That's the thing, I'm terrified! I'm scared of making the wrong decision, like giving up a dream career out of fear yet I'm also scared that I take that leap of faith, start this career, only to find that I really suck and have my heart pulled out and eaten by the critics," Gabriella confesses. "I think I better call my mom, one second Troy."

Troy watches Gabriella as she gets on the phone with her mom and tells her the entire situation, pacing back and forth. He lets her talk it out with her mom, knowing Mrs. Montez was Gabriella's first and true best friend. After a little while, Gabriella hangs up the phone and puts her cell phone back in her bag. "What did she say?" Troy asks.

"The same thing you probably are going to. It's up to me," Gabriella answers.

Troy lets out a chuckle. "Yeah, that was what I was going to say. Gabriella, this could be a huge opportunity for you but it would change your life quite a bit," Troy says. "I'll support you either way you decide."

Gabriella nods but mutters, "Stupid internet!"

"Why don't you think about it for a while longer? We'll go shopping, maybe that will clear your head. It has before," Troy suggests.

Gabriella smile over at him. "I know how much that just pained you to say Troy. Thank you," she murmurs, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his chest for support. "Either way I go, it's nice to know you are going to be there with me, every step of the way."

"Always," he returns, leaning down and kissing her on the top of her head while stroking her back.

Soon Hunter stops by with Liam and the two couples leave the hotel for 5 hours of pure shopping, Troy trying his best not to look tortured as they went from shop to shop to mall to outlet. Eventually they come back to the hotel and make it to their suite for a rest before the stylists come to help Gabriella prepare for the night. Troy is surprised when he sees a few choices in suits, shirts, and ties for him, as well as a pair of shoes that would go with any of them. Gabriella forces Troy into waiting in the bedroom while she gets ready, still a bundle of nerves about her decision. He ends up getting ready way early and plops down on the king sized bed to watch TV, turning automatically to the sports channel.

Soon he hears a knock on the door and quickly turns off the television and gets up, fixing his hair quickly before seeing the door open, revealing a breathtaking Gabriella. She is dressed in a red floor length gown with a halter top, his necklace hanging around her neck, with her hair completely swept up in a curly arrangement. "Utterly gorgeous yet sexy," Troy manages to get out after a gulp.

Gabriella smiles at him, extending her hand out which he quickly takes and kisses before holding it in his. "Ready for tonight?" she asks.

"I am but I don't know about you," Troy answers, referring to her decision.

"You'll be there every step of the way right?" Gabriella asks, smiling more as she sees his nod of agreement. "I think, if I don't try this, I'm going to be very 'what if' with myself for the rest of my life. For the sake of never having a regret in my life so far I'm going to for it and try it."

"Sounds like a plan boss," Troy teases, wrapping her in his arms, being careful not to wrinkle her dress. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

"Why, because I finally made a decision?" she asks.

"No, because you're following your heart," he returns as he slowly leans his head down to kiss Gabriella.

There's a knock on the main door, interrupting the kiss. "Man, how many missed opportunities is that now?" Gabriella asks, laughing as the couple make their way into the living room which is empty again of people and opens the door to see a dashing Hunter and smartly dressed Liam by his side.

"Ready?" Hunter asks, smiling as he sees Gabriella and Troy together. 'They really are fabulous together,' he thinks to himself.

"Yup," Gabriella responds, giving Hunter a hug in greeting, as well as Liam. The two couples go down the elevator and meet Johnny in the lobby, ignoring the flashing of lights going on from outside.

Johnny grins as he sees the four people coming towards him. "You all look wonderful. I have two separate cars waiting for you out there. Hunter and Liam you can take the first and then Gabriella and Troy, you'll be in the second. Gabriella, have you thought about it at all?" he asks, looking at only Gabriella.

Gabriella pauses for a few moments, wanting to make sure this felt right which it did. "I'm on board Johnny!" she exclaims, causing Johnny to grin more.

"That's wonderful! I'll have the contracts and paperwork ready for you before you leave tomorrow but tonight my dear, I want you as my newest client to go out there and have fun with one of my best clients and your boyfriend. If anyone asks, tell them your album is coming out in a few months but don't tell them anything more than that," Johnny responds, happy at her decision.

"Wait, this doesn't mean that we have to like fake break up right?" Troy asks, suddenly worried about that prospect.

Johnny chuckles and shakes his head. "As long as you can deal with being in the spotlight with your girlfriend, you'll be fine. Just be more mindful about those PDA," he teases. "One last question before I let you leave. Hunter leaked to me Gabriella that your friend at East High composed that song and that you wrote the lyrics? Is that right?"

Gabriella confirms this with a nod. "I like to write and that includes song lyrics, poems and stories. Kelsi and I were just playing around with that song and it came out decent."

"Decent? Gabriella, so far, all those internet reviews love it! When you get back, I want you to get together with your friend and see what else you can come up with. Of course she would get her own recognition and compensation for it but I think we have a lot of possibilities," Johnny concludes, very optimistic as to the future of his newest client. "Now go, have fun tonight!"

"Thanks man," Hunter says, patting Johnny's shoulder before Johnny gives Gabriella a huge hug and escorts her and Troy to the second car.

Gabriella was fairly surprised when they got to the party that there were so many paparazzi who were taking pictures of her and a few interviewers who stopped her to ask her questions about the stunt she and Hunter had pulled together, one or two asking about Troy and only one asking about the leaked song which she answered dutifully, following Johnny's instructions. Once inside, she giggles as she sees how very star struck Troy was as he looked around the room to see all the famous people. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," she assures him.

Troy looks down at her and grins. "With you embarking on what will probably be one of the best careers, I think I'll have to if I want to remain in your life," he says, softly placing his hand on the side of her face which she leans into, a look of love shining from her brown eyes.

He spots a backdoor to the club and takes Gabriella's hand to lead her out. They find it leads out to a beach which is pretty empty of people. Gabriella slips off her heels as the two walk down close to the water, making sure not to get too close because of Gabriella's dress. The couple looks around and just enjoy the moment, being there in each other's embrace, the clear sky above allowing the moon and multitude of stars to shine down on them.

"This just seems so perfect," Gabriella murmurs, pulling away slightly to look up at Troy. "Being here with you is all I need to be happy in life."

"You flatter me," Troy responds, looking down at Gabriella. "Although, if I'm honest, I would have to say I feel the exact same way about you. You are like the air I breathe Gabriella and I never want to be without you again, no matter how stupid or jealous I get. Just slap me before I do something as stupid as trying to break up with you."

Gabriella laughs a little. "Trust me Troy, I was planning on that already," she returns, kissing him gently before laying her head back on his chest as they stare out at the ocean again. She wraps her arms around his lower waist, noticing for the first time something bumpy. She pulls back, indicating to Troy that now was the time if ever.

Troy smiles down at Gabriella, using his right hand to tilt her head back up to him so he could gaze lovingly into her eyes. "Gabriella Montez, we've gone through quite a bit for having been together only for less than a year but it seems longer than that for you know me better than anyone does, even Chad who has been like a brother since preschool. We've tested our chances several times, only to find that in the end we belong together, much to both of our delights I think. You complete me in a way that no one else does, giving me hope and confidence and faith when I think all is lost, brightening my day even more by just being there by my side," Troy says, putting his hand into his right pocket of his suit jacket and pulling something out. "Gabriella Montez, will you be mine forever?"


	30. Chapter 30

Ch. 30

"Oh my God!" squeals Taylor and Kelsi as they listen to Gabriella's retelling of last night. The gang were all over at the Bolton's house for a winter celebration and also as a chance to just hang out together. The boys, as predictable as they were, were outside playing basketball while the girls were sitting inside in the living room, listening to Gabriella's explanation of the ring around her neck.

_"Gabriella Montez, will you be mine forever, for the world to see?"_

_Gabriella looks at the silver chain Troy was holding onto one end of and the Championship ring he loved to wear every day on the other. She looks up at him with a questioning look. "Are you sure? That ring means everything to you," she murmurs, knowing how attached he was to it._

_"It does mean a lot to me, which is why I'm giving it to you. As much as I love basketball and I love the fact that I have a great team that worked hard to win the Championship last year, I love you even more. As silly as this is, I'd be honored if you would wear my ring as a sign of our real commitment to each other. I thought of this old tradition my dad once told me about when he was in high school, where a guy would give his girlfriend his class ring to say they were going steady. That romantic inside of me wanted to take this chance to give you a ring that means even more to me, to say the same thing, that I am utterly committed to you and our love," Troy answers._

_She feels tears welling in her eyes, quickly trying to blink the happy tears back. Gabriella nods her head, unable to say anything, causing a smiling Troy to walk behind her and clasp the necklace behind her neck, just as he had that day he gave her the T necklace. Troy kisses the back of her neck before walking back around so he was facing her. _

_Gabriella gazes up into his blue eyes, seeing true, unadulterated love there, and knows this is where she belonged. "I love you Tory Bolton and I would love to be responsible for your Championship ring as a sign of my devotion, loyalty, and undying love for you," she says, knowing he could see the honest truth of what she said in her eyes. _

_Troy wraps his arms around Gabriella to bring her closer to him again and leans his head down to capture her lips in a tender and sweet kiss, not caring who was watching. He loves this woman in his arms and no one was ever going to stand in their way again, he'd see to it. Both break away as a wave comes and washes over their feet, Troy groaning as he feels ocean water in his shoes and Gabriella laughing at being doused by water once again during a kiss with Troy. He joins her laughter as they lean back into each other and share in another kiss, letting the water rush back into the ocean, taking away all the bad memories and tough times they had recently experience__d__, leaving a new couple behind who was stronger for it all._

"Seriously Gabriella, you need to convince Troy the benefits of teaching his team his moves!" Taylor exclaims, loving the story Gabriella had just finished.

Smiling, Gabriella fingers the ring around her neck that hangs just below the T necklace. "You all have romance in your boyfriends," she says, looking at Kelsi, Sharpay and Taylor who were looking at her. "And Martha, you'll find it soon enough."

Martha nods her head with a dreamy look on her face. "And when I do, I'm going to make sure he is just as sweet and romantic as Troy!" she exclaims with a wink to Gabriella.

"So everything is okay now?" Kelsi asks.

"More than okay," Gabriella replies with a smile. "I've learned that at times, life is not always what it seems but I think at this time, at this moment, what Troy and I now share is the real thing. My first and last true love."

"Eww, you are so gushy now!" Sharpay complains, not able to resist the urge to tease her friend. "I guess I'll never get Troy Bolton now huh?"

"Even if you tried Sharpay, he wouldn't give you the time of day, not after last night," Taylor responds for Gabriella. "Besides, you know you are head over heels for Zeke and his baking."

Sharpay's eyes light up at just the mention of her boyfriend. Kelsi laughs and looks over at Gabriella, enjoying the sweet dreamy look that is in her eyes. "So you're going to go through with this singing huh?" she asks.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Gabriella says, breaking her daydream of her and Troy. "Johnny wants to hear more of our original songs and your songs you've written for possible album ideas. Do you want to do it?"

Kelsi stares back at Gabriella, not able to tell if she was joking with her or not. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely! Kelsi, I'd be nowhere without my composer and my friend," Gabriella says, wrapping her left arm around Kelsi. "Want to do it?"

"You bet!" Kelsi exclaims, unable to contain her excitement. "I have so many songs we could go through, you open to lots of meetings and practices? We can totally do it right after school, before school, on the weekends…"

"All right Kelsi, slow down. We'll get there, I promise," Gabriella says, laughing with the other girls over Kelsi's excitement. "We'll start first thing tomorrow after the scholastic decathlon meeting all right?"

Kelsi nods and smiles, her mind already racing with ideas.

----

Outside on the basketball court, Troy had just finished a three pointer when Chad noticed his Championship ring that matched Chad's, Jason's and Zeke's was missing. "Oh, you so didn't!" Chad exclaims, stopping the game to approach Troy and grabbing his right hand. "Guys, Troy did it!"

"What?" Troy asks innocently, knowing the round of crap he was about to get.

Ryan comes over from where he was watching the four friends to look at Troy's hand which had the tan line from the ring but no ring. "What does that mean?" Ryan asks, unaware of what was going on.

"It means that our captain is officially whipped by his girlfriend, for definite now," Jason supplies with a grin. "Ooohhh, wait until Coach hears about this!"

"No, guys, come on, you don't need to tell him!" Troy tries to reason, knowing his dad would only embarrass him.

"What don't I need to know Troy?" Coach Bolton asks as he comes out with an arm full of water bottles for his favorite players and Ryan.

Without saying anything, Chad raises Troy's empty hand for Coach Bolton to see who drops the bottles of water he is carrying immediately. "Seriously?" he asks, using a common word the guys had taken to using, causing them to laugh except for Troy.

Troy eyes his dad warily. "Seriously," he finally says, cringing at all the cheers that went up around him accompanied by the cat calls.

Coach Bolton stares at his son for a moment longer before grinning. "About time Troy, about time," he says, walking over to his son and giving him a hug. "I was hoping you would do that soon."

"Really?" Troy asks, looking up at his dad.

"Really. I couldn't imagine a better girl for you than Gabriella," his dad replies with a grin. "Now you aren't planning on getting engaged or married anytime soon right?"

"No Dad, not until at least after college, don't worry," Troy reassures his dad who nods his head. Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Ryan get a certain look in their eyes before running into the house, leaving Troy and Coach Bolton standing out on the court. They hear a scream, one Troy recognizes as Gabriella's, and soon sees the four boys carrying Gabriella out, the four girls following them out laughing. The four boys gently put Gabriella back on her feet next to Troy, laughing as they see her flushed face.

Coach Bolton, knowing he was intruding now, escapes and vanishes into the house, coming out a few moments later with a camera in his hands to capture this moment for his son of all his friends around him, with the love of his life in his arms. Coach Bolton could not remember another time where he saw Troy this purely happy before, smiling one last time as he takes a shot of just Troy and Gabriella with their arms around each other, looking into each other's eyes before heading back inside.

Gabriella and Troy stand together, in that embrace, as they deal with their friends making catcalls and teasing them after learning that the two were doing the old fashioned ritual of going steady, the step before getting engaged, also known nowadays as being promised to each other. They laugh as after a while of letting the boys have their fun, the girls pull them back in and help to calm down their antics.

"Man, it's getting cold out here now that we aren't playing," Chad says, shivering as he sees Taylor do the same. "Girls, interested in playing a mixed game?"

Taylor sees the challenge in his eyes. "I say we do girls versus guys," she says, knowing he would rise to the occasion. "I think we can hold our own."

"Umm, sweetie, as much as I care for you, you're about to get squashed along with Martha, Kelsi, Sharpay and Gabriella if we play us four basketball players and Ryan against the five of you," Chad returns.

"Yeah, that's not all that fair," Troy says, earning a glare from Gabriella who steps away from him and joins Taylor's side. "Oh come on Gabriella, you know that's true."

"No I don't," she returns, smiling as she feels Sharpay, Kelsi and Martha joining the two. "I think it's game on!"

The guys get a grin on their faces at the determination in the girls' faces. "All right then, let's do this," Zeke says, stepping up to the challenge. Both sides break away to opposite sides of the court to talk strategy before breaking away.

"Ladies first," Ryan calls out, bouncing the ball over to Sharpay who takes it with a competitive sneer. "Ooohhh, I'm scared Sharpay!"

The boys are so busy laughing that they don't notice Sharpay throw the ball in to Gabriella who takes the ball and completes a successful layup, earning the girls the first points of the game.

"NO WAY!" Chad protests, noticing what just happened. Gabriella picks up the ball and innocently throws it at Troy who catches it with a grin and a shake of his head. "Troy you were supposed to be watching her!"

"Hey, I didn't see Zeke trying to block Sharpay either!" Troy defends.

"Whatever man, go throw the ball in," Chad mutters, upset the girls scored first.

The game continues, each side taking turns scoring. Zeke, Jason, Chad, and Troy were all surprised the girls were doing so well on their own, watching as Taylor made a three pointer in with nothing but net, earning her squeals from the rest of the girls. Ryan laughs at the four basketball players as he comes over to where they are standing. "You act like you didn't know they could rise to the occasion and bring their best game on," he says, chuckling as he notices the girls are now standing there as a group, facing the boys.

"Come on, I thought we were playing to fifty points," Sharpay complains. "It's your turn."

Zeke grins over at his girlfriend. "Oh, don't you worry, we'll get there soon enough so we can end your misery," he teases, taking the ball from her grasp so he could throw it in.

"Hmph!" she lets out as she goes over to try to block his throw in.

The guys fight back, pulling out all the stops to score the next series of points by stealing the ball from the girls but the girls were not about to let them win without a fight. They pulled together and Gabriella, Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi started using their boyfriends' appreciation of their looks to their advantage, distracting them every chance they could get to steal the ball back. Soon the game is tied and it is all dependant on one last shot. Chad throws the ball over to Troy who grabs it before Taylor could interfere, bouncing it down towards the hoop, focused on the hoop only. Without realizing it, he runs Gabriella over on accident, hearing her shout in protest as she ends up on the ground.

"FOUL!" Taylor and Martha yell, going over to check on Gabriella who looks fine. Troy stops dribbling immediately and goes over to check on her as well.

"Sorry Gabriella, I didn't truthfully see you," Troy shyly admits. "Got focused on the hoop and winning. You sure you are okay?" He eyes her knees and hands carefully, concern in his blue eyes.

"I'm fine, really," Gabriella says, gratefully accepting his help up and smiling as he kisses both her hands and then her lips. "Although, I'm better now after those kisses and of course my two free-throw shots!"

Troy groans as he realizes she's right. He looks over at the guys who shake their heads, knowing the game could be won if Gabriella makes just one of the shots. Troy hands Gabriella the ball and takes his position on the side to watch her take her two shots. There is absolute silence as she lines up and bounces the ball a few times, shooting and completely air balling.

The guys chuckle as she pouts but stop as soon as she gets a look of determination on her face. Gabriella looks over at her girlfriends as they cheer her on, bouncing the ball again as Ryan sends it her way. She keeps bouncing it until Chad calls out, "Anytime now Gabriella!"

She gives him one last dirty look before closing her eyes and remembering one of her earliest memories with Troy, being in the gym and shooting hoops before Coach Bolton came in. Gabriella lifts the ball up and shoots, opening her eyes just as the ball reaches the hoop and _Swish!_

The girls scream and run over to Gabriella congratulating her and screaming their victory. Troy smiles over at Gabriella, proud of her, even with the guys coming over and muttering about losing to the girls. They follow through on good conduct though and shake hands with the girls, leaving Gabriella and Troy being the last ones. Instead of shaking her hand, Troy lifts Gabriella into his arms and spins her around, kissing her soundly before putting her back on her feet. "That was great," Troy says, looking at Gabriella who is grinning, the sweetness of victory evident on her face. "Not that I expected any less from you. How is that story you were writing about Hunter going by the way? I haven't asked, ever I think."

"Oh that? I've been done with that for a while now. I'm on a new story now," Gabriella supplies.

"Let me guess, an autobiography of your dating Hunter Smith?" Troy teases, unable to help himself.

"No, but close," she replies, waiting for his response.

"Argh, another fan fiction about Hunter? Are you kidding?" Troy complains.

"Hunter? He is so yesterday as a crush! It's a story about this wonderful guy who sweeps my heroine away from all the pain and drama in her life," Gabriella says.

Troy eyes her warily. "Another Hollywood hunk?"

"No, the guy is not another star. He's actually based on you," she answers, smiling at Troy's shocked response. "I couldn't think of a better guy to write about than my own wonderful boyfriend."

Troy lets out a relieved laugh and puts his head close to hers, leaning their foreheads together while keeping their gazes locked. "Have I told you what a hopeless romantic you are Gabriella Montez?"

"Just as you are Troy Bolton. I love you," she returns, whispering the last part.

"I love you too," Troy returns in a whisper, both leaning in for a kiss, continuing it even as they hear their friends cheering somewhere in the background, no longer caring what they thought. As long as Troy and Gabriella were together, which they planned to be through spring semester and college and hopefully beyond, all was right again in their world.

The End!


End file.
